text: DSpace Collection: http://hdl.handle.net/2381/8806 2015-04-01T17:52:20Z 2015-04-01T17:52:20Z The life and interests of the Reverend Sir Richard Kaye, Bt., LL.D., F.R.S., F.S.A., an eighteenth century pluralist Drinkall, John Thomas http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31898 2015-03-20T03:00:14Z 2015-03-19T10:45:06Z Title: The life and interests of the Reverend Sir Richard Kaye, Bt., LL.D., F.R.S., F.S.A., an eighteenth century pluralist Authors: Drinkall, John Thomas Abstract: Richard Kaye, the sixth and last Baronet, was born in 1736, and educated at Oxford, where he was the first Vinerian Scholar. At the University he met the third Duke of Portland, through whose friendship and influence he progressed. Ordained in 1760 Kaye became Chaplain to the Duke in 1762, and toured the Continent in the following year. In 1765 Portland appointed him Rector of Kirkby in Ashfield, and he forthwith became a touter for ecclesiastical preferment. He was made a Chaplain to the King, and then, aided by the Archbishop of York, he collected prebends at York, Southwell, and Durham. He was also Sub-Almoner, Archdeacon of Nottingham, Dean and Prebendary of Lincoln, Minister of St . Marylebone , and Rector of Wirksworth and Clayworth . Kaye 's interests were not limited to ecclesiastical matters. He pursued a wide range of activities and hobbies. His determination to make a financial success of the 175 acres of glebe attached to his rectory at Kirkby laid the foundation of his interest in agriculture, and this interest led to his involvement in almost anything that concerned the Duke's affairs on the Welbeck and Marylebone estates and elsewhere. Kaye was a collector of books and coins, a lover of music and the arts. He gathered memoranda on ecclesiastical, antiquarian , botanical, and other subjects. At Marylebone he was deeply absorbed in Local Government. A Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and of the Royal Society, a member of several clubs and philanthropic organizations, and a Trustee of the British Museum, Kaye was a close friend of Sir Joseph Banks, the naturalist, and patron of Samuel Grimm, the topographical artist . He died in 1809 after having amassed considerable wealth by virtue of his own shrewd business instincts and marriage to an affluent widow. 2015-03-19T10:45:06Z Tragic Hope – Sentiment and Critique in the Art of J. M. W. Turner Martin, Marion http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31862 2015-03-13T02:02:04Z 2015-03-12T15:55:43Z Title: Tragic Hope – Sentiment and Critique in the Art of J. M. W. Turner Authors: Martin, Marion Abstract: This is a study of historical meanings in J.M.W. Turner's art. As a starting point, it examines the cultural backdrop and mission of theorists of the Royal Academy, specifically Joshua Reynolds, to improve society. This mission, I argue, owes much to a strand of thinking particularly current at the time, aligned with the recently formed utopian concept of the bourgeois public: sentimentalism. Turner's art, this thesis proposes, pursued this utopian ideal throughout. While landscape art around 1800 tended to be interpreted in contexts which abstracted art from societal significance, Turner's earliest composite works already guided their audiences' understanding towards the moral effects of tragedy through their paratexts. Apart from these works, exhibited in 1798 and 1799, whose paratexts have been studied in the past mostly for their enhancement of aesthetic effects, this thesis studies three more groups of Turner's works: a second body are composite works from around 1800, some with appended texts supposedly written by the artist himself, which bear references to an artist-persona and artistic mission and therefore help single out Turner's artistic mission. Another body of works are selected from the period when Turner's Fallacies of Hope were in use. They particularly promote a pacifistic, anti-heroic ideal. The fourth group is defined by its subject matter, Venice. This thesis proposes that all of the groups, but particularly the last two, use paratexts as means to mingle an educational mission with sharp criticisms of reigning aesthetic and ethical approaches Description: The file associated with this record is unavailable while an embargo request is considered. 2015-03-12T15:55:43Z New public management in Cyprus: introduction, adoption and implementation of NPM, the relationship between the public and private sector Constantinou-Miltiadou, Maria http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31859 2015-03-12T02:02:19Z 2015-03-11T15:38:16Z Title: New public management in Cyprus: introduction, adoption and implementation of NPM, the relationship between the public and private sector Authors: Constantinou-Miltiadou, Maria Abstract: This thesis is a study of public sector reform in the context of economic crisis. The thesis examines the introduction of new management practices to the Cyprus civil service, with the aim of understanding the role of various actors, internal and external to Cyprus, in influencing the policy agenda. Based on semi-structured interviews with key players, the research captures a civil service at the point of transition. The government of Cyprus has been under pressure to introduce reforms since joining the European Union in 2004. Nevertheless, political and social factors have made previous attempts to reduce civil service staffing and introduce practices influenced by 'New Public Management' (NPM) have been unsuccessful. The current programme of reforms, by contrast, have resulted from coercive influence of the 'Troika' following the economic crisis, which has added weight to an existing tendency towards normative isomorphism. The research finds a recognition of the desirability of 'modernisation' amongst policy-makers, civil service managers and trade unionists alike. This finding, which might be surprising in other national contexts, may be explained by the island's historical legacy of political patronage and clientelism. NPM initiatives are regarded as being beneficial, overall. This, in turn, suggests a reappraisal of the nature of bureaucracy in Cyprus, which would indicate that it has not lived up to its reputation for being meritocratic and impartial, and is regarded by the actors as a barrier to progress. 2015-03-11T15:38:16Z Local government, local legislation: municipal initiative in parliament from 1858 to 1872 Morris, Roger John Bowring http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31847 2015-03-11T02:02:27Z 2015-03-10T16:38:31Z Title: Local government, local legislation: municipal initiative in parliament from 1858 to 1872 Authors: Morris, Roger John Bowring Abstract: The years between the first Local Government Act 1858 and the establishment of the Local Government Board in 1872 saw great changes in England and Wales: growing populations brought growing problems in crowded living conditions, but there were also increasing wealth, manufacturing and intellectual resources in a context of major international influence and self-confidence, and rapidly expanding countrywide infrastructure. Against this backdrop, the municipal authorities of this period had few general law powers to regulate local conditions, or to provide services. While Parliament was still – at least at the outset – broadly antagonistic to centralisation and the enactment of common standards, it was willing to grant private Acts – special local Act powers – to those places that sought, and could justify and pay for, the means to improve and invest in their localities. This thesis identifies and analyses for the first time the 335 local Parliamentary Bills, and from them the 278 resulting Acts, that municipalities promoted in the years 1858 to 1872 inclusive. Three things stand out from the huge mass of local statute-book material which these 278 Acts comprise – themselves only a small fraction of the total of private Acts passed in the era of railway mania, and of much else besides. The first is that, far from being an unco-ordinated mass of inconsistent, quixotic provisions as private Acts are sometimes thought or assumed to be, these Acts have a substantial degree of cohesion as a body of material. Secondly, the towns and cities of northern England secured more than half of them. Thirdly, the costs of promotions (and the vested interests involved in them) represented a huge and often wasteful outlay that a more pragmatic and forwardlooking Parliamentary attitude could have greatly reduced. These and other matters are examined in detail across the whole spectrum of local legislation for the first time. There are no acknowledgements requiring to be listed. 2015-03-10T16:38:31Z The Unnoticed Perspective – Poems about Life with Asperger Syndrome Malkin, Julia Sandra Ailsa http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31846 2015-03-11T02:02:14Z 2015-03-10T16:31:52Z Title: The Unnoticed Perspective – Poems about Life with Asperger Syndrome Authors: Malkin, Julia Sandra Ailsa Abstract: Asperger syndrome (AS) is a form of autism, a condition which affects communication, imagination and social interaction abilities. As a person with AS, my perspectives on life and its meaning, relationships and the social world are different from those of other people. This project is designed to be twofold – firstly to provide insights into life with AS in a form of literature which people can relate to; and secondly to allow the AS person to be able to see their own condition reflected in an accessible form. This document is intended to be used by those with Asperger syndrome, their parents and families, and professionals who work with them. It reflects on autism in general, the triad of impairments from an Asperger perspective and complications resulting from this condition. It is also an exploration of the world of poetry, the use of form, a variety of metres which were popular at different times, and involving poetic challenges of expressing emotion and feeling. This work goes into themes such as relationships and friendships, sense of time and space, sensory difficulties, growing up as an AS person, obsessional behaviour patterns, communication problems and other AS issues. It is designed to raise awareness of the AS condition and provide support to those who have it, while at the same time being entertaining and accessible to the general population. 2015-03-10T16:31:52Z 'Acts of Extravagance and Folly': the conception and control of transgressive masculinity in a Victorian cause célèbre Connor, Mark http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31845 2015-03-11T02:02:10Z 2015-03-10T16:26:27Z Title: 'Acts of Extravagance and Folly': the conception and control of transgressive masculinity in a Victorian cause célèbre Authors: Connor, Mark Abstract: Based on the prosecution of Ernest Boulton and William Park in 1870, the cross-dressing cause célèbre of the Victorian period, this Thesis explores the complex interplay of gendered nineteenth century narratives that emerged in both public and institutional discourse as a result of the arrest and prosecution for conspiracy to commit sodomy of the male cross-dressers and their acquaintances. Within the current historiography of the nineteenth century the regulation of male cross-dressers has been associated with the reflexive homophobia that has come to dominate modern interpretations of Victorian conceptions of male gender deviance. Whilst accepting that the case of Boulton and Park has rightly found its place within the established narrative histories of male sexuality this Thesis argues that the case, and indeed the image of the male cross-dresser in general, illuminates much more than nascent Victorian conceptions of homosexuality. The effeminacy of the cross-dresser, although universally stigmatised, is shown to represent a multitude of social ills ranging from economic indolence to moral degeneracy, placing the cross-dresser at the nexus of bourgeoisie social anxiety. Through the detailed analysis of legal transcripts and press reports this Thesis demonstrates the significance of the analysis of the male cross-dresser beyond the narrow confines of the history of sexuality. The prosecution of Boulton and Park attests to more than the increasingly reactionary policing of bourgeois conceptions of masculinity during the mid to late nineteenth century. The unprecedented publicity that accompanied the case combined with the cross-dresser's ability to unite previously disparate strands of deviant discourses, like those of the female prostitute and male sodomite, will be shown to represent a rare moment in which the totality of bourgeois anxiety was manifest, a moment in which the cross-dresser became the gendered folk devil for an age of ideological temperance. 2015-03-10T16:26:27Z Nano-scratch hardness and the Lateral Size Effect (LSE) Kareer, Anna http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31844 2015-03-11T02:02:05Z 2015-03-10T16:20:57Z Title: Nano-scratch hardness and the Lateral Size Effect (LSE) Authors: Kareer, Anna Abstract: Nano-scratch testing has been used throughout this thesis in order to deepen the understanding of the processes occurring during the nano-scratch test, and to develop a method for calculating the nano-scratch hardness, from the quantifiable variables that are obtainable from the technique. Scratch testing on the macro scale is a well-established technique, however when reducing the scale of a mechanical test, whilst interest is focussed on the yield strength or hardness of the material, plasticity size effects must be explored. A literature survey concludes that size effects in nano-scratch testing have not been investigated in the past, thus this is the main subject of this thesis. In order to carry out this investigation a number of methods were trialled to calculate the nano-scratch hardness of pure, polycrystalline, oxygen free copper using both the edge forward and the face forward tip orientations of a diamond Berkovich indenter. The results obtained were compared to the indentation hardness and the most theoretically suitable method was adopted for later experiments carried out in this work; the technique for obtaining measurements was optimised, such that a genuine lateral size effect (LSE), whereby the nano-scratch hardness increases with decreasing scratch size, was observed. To further investigate the lateral size effect, nano-scratches were performed on a sample of single crystal copper in different work hardened states. It was observed that the nano-scratch hardness not only increases with decreasing scratch size, but also increases when the spacing between the dislocations in the material is reduced; when the level of work hardening in the sample increases, the density of dislocations increases, thus the spacing between these obstacles is reduced. In addition to this, the anisotropy of the nano-scratch hardness was investigated by altering the scratch direction in the (100) plane of the single crystal copper. It was found that the nano-scratch hardness is anisotropic and that the scratch hardness is largest when the scratch direction is parallel to the slip plane. It is known that the yield strength of a material increases with decreasing average grain size and therefore the effect of grain size on the nano-scratch hardness was considered. By reducing the grain size of pure, annealed, oxygen free copper, the nano-scratch hardness was observed to increase. In all experiments, the nano-scratch hardness values of scratches performed in the face forward tip orientation were larger than that of scratches performed in the edge forward tip orientation, when scratching the same sample condition. This suggests that scratch hardness is tip geometry dependent and in order to develop a method of calculating a tip orientation-independent scratch hardness, the shape of the indenter and the plastic flow of material around the indenter in that orientation, must be known and incorporated into the calculation, possibly as a drag coefficient. In addition to the geometry of the plastic flow, and therefore the plastic zone size, it was found that the nano-scratch hardness is also governed by the interaction between the geometry of the indenter and the grain boundaries in the material. Finally a number of experimental issues from the nano-scratch test are highlighted and researchers are encouraged to consider these precautions when using the nano-scratch test. 2015-03-10T16:20:57Z X-chromosomal markers and the histories of European populations Maisano Delser, Pierpaolo http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31843 2015-03-11T02:02:33Z 2015-03-10T16:12:26Z Title: X-chromosomal markers and the histories of European populations Authors: Maisano Delser, Pierpaolo Abstract: Human population history has been described by analysing different genetic markers. Much attention has focused on haploid markers (such as mtDNA and Y chromosome), but this study addresses the X chromosome (haploid in males, and with a female bias in its history) in order to describe genetic diversity and to infer human population history in Western Europe. HapMap Phase I/II data reveal haplotype blocks on the X chromosome, called PHAXs (Phylogeographically informative Haplotypes on Autosomes and X chromosome), in which recombination is historically absent and mutations are likely to be the only source of genetic variation. Three such regions were chosen to meet several criteria such that mutations in these loci are putatively neutral. These loci have been deep sequenced in 240 samples from Europe, the Middle East and Africa using the Ion Torrent PGM next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform. Short-tandem repeats (STRs) were also typed in order to provide: i) greater discrimination, and ii) a test of different software tools able to call STRs from NGS data. This dataset was validated against a standard STR typing procedure using capillary electrophoresis. PHAXs were confirmed to be largely non-recombining across European samples. All three loci show a remarkably homogeneous pattern across Europe and high Fst values with the African sample. Overall, 30% of singleton variants are European-specific, and this excess of rare alleles is consistent with signals of expansion in Europe, with the Middle East and Africa showing a weaker pattern. Additional samples from the Complete Genomics dataset confirmed these patterns showing European- and Middle Eastern-specific haplotypes. Bayesian skyline plots suggest a European-specific expansion around 20 KYA with a more recent peak around 10 KYA. This study demonstrates the value of the use of haplotype blocks, and the accurate ascertainment of rare variants to infer human demographic history. 2015-03-10T16:12:26Z Unsymmetrical, Monoanionic Pincer Ligands for Titanium and Palladium Wright, Luka http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31842 2015-03-11T02:02:31Z 2015-03-10T15:43:00Z Title: Unsymmetrical, Monoanionic Pincer Ligands for Titanium and Palladium Authors: Wright, Luka Abstract: In this thesis, the synthesis, characterisation and coordination chemistry of a series of related [N,NPyN] and [N,NPy O] monoanionic pincer ligands, together with some reaction chemistry of the metal complexes is described. In Chapters 2 and 3, the synthesis and characterisation of novel [N,NPyO] and [N,NPyN] pro-ligands and reaction chemistry with palladium(II) starting materials to form square planar complexes of the type [(N,NPyX)PdL] (X = O, NH, L = OAc, Cl, I, MeCN, Py, Ph) is described. The pro-ligands and the metal complexes have been characterised by a combination of multinuclear NMR spectroscopic techniques, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and, for selected examples, by single crystal X-ray crystallography; salient spectroscopic and structural data are discussed. The stoichiometric reactivity of the [(N,NPyO)PdCl] and [(N,NPyN)PdPh] species towards [p -Tol2I][OTf] and the electrophilic fluorinating agents Selectfluor and XeF2 are disclosed. Thereby, an assessment of the ability of these pincer ligands to support transient high-valent palladium(III) and palladium(IV) complexes has been made. It is established that the N-(4-i-PrC6H4) substituted [(N,NPyO)PdCl] complexes are able to facilitate C-Cl bond forming reactions with greater conversions than their N-(2,6-i-PrC6H3) substituted analogues, and that the reaction of [(N,NPyN)PdPh] [Ar = (4-i-PrC6H4)] with Selectfluor and XeF2 yields biphenyl via complex reaction pathways. In Chapter 4, the use of the same pro-ligands in the synthesis of relatively rare examples of titanium(IV) complexes containing tridentate ligands, [(N,NPyO)TiX3] (X = F, Cl), is described. These complexes have been characterised by multinuclear NMR techniques, mass spectrometry and, for selected examples, by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Investigations reveal that both classes of titanium(IV) complexes are suitable for use as ethylene polymerisation pre-catalysts in the presence of the co-catalyst, MAO. The activity of chloride-containing catalysts is higher than their fluoride-containing analogues. However, the catalysts are highly ligand-dependent; an activity of 340 g(PE) mmol-1 h-1 bar-1 is obtained for an [(N,NPyO)TiF3] complex supported by a sterically bulky tridentate ligand system and these systems are the most active ethylene polymerisation catalysts known which comprise a Ti-F bond. 2015-03-10T15:43:00Z The chief learning officer: pursuing a grounded theory of executive leadership at the top of the human resource development field Douglas, Richard C. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31841 2015-03-11T10:47:33Z 2015-03-10T15:17:07Z Title: The chief learning officer: pursuing a grounded theory of executive leadership at the top of the human resource development field Authors: Douglas, Richard C. Abstract: The Chief Learning Officer (CLO) of an organization is the executive responsible for learning and workplace performance, and is often a member of its top management team. Practicing human resource development (HRD) strategically, the CLO creates and conducts learning and development activities designed to increase workers' capabilities and outcomes. This thesis establishes a theoretical description of the path HRD practitioners take to become CLOs, examines how they perform strategic HRD and where they go when finished in that role, and delineates the structure-agency dynamics they function within. Additionally, the thesis explores and explains the CLO phenomenon through the use of sociological theories of structure and agency. Particularly, it applies strong structuration theory to the CLO. Combining these theories provides a thorough theoretical explanation of the basic social process of the CLO phenomenon, grounded in the data. Using grounded theory as its qualitative research method, it gathers and analyzes the lived experiences of CLOs. The results from 20 semi-structured interviews with current and former CLOs are presented and analyzed to explore how HRD practitioners become CLOs, how CLOs practice strategic HRD, and where CLOs go in their careers. A foundational theoretical model for the CLO is offered, which includes several contributing theories. It is demonstrated that CLOs are constructing their roles and the social structures while simultaneously performing in them. Also, CLOs are shown to come from a variety of vocational backgrounds with varying degrees of experience in HR. They practice strategically whether or not they are members of their organizations' top management teams. When they leave the CLO role, they also tend to move away from organizationally defined careers and towards self-defined ways of practice. Also offered are recommendations for further research and implications for HRD scholarship and practice. 2015-03-10T15:17:07Z Development of a Fabry-Perot Etalon spectrometer for high-resolution aerosol observations in the oxygen A-band Geddes, Alexander Gordon http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31840 2015-03-11T02:02:12Z 2015-03-10T15:09:44Z Title: Development of a Fabry-Perot Etalon spectrometer for high-resolution aerosol observations in the oxygen A-band Authors: Geddes, Alexander Gordon Abstract: Aerosols are an important factor of the Earth climatic system and they play a key role for air quality and public health. Observations of the Oxygen A-Band at 760 nm can provide information on the vertical distribution of aerosols from passive sensors, that can be of great interest for operational monitoring applications with high spatial coverage if the aerosol information is obtained with sufficient precision, accuracy and vertical resolution. To address this issue, retrieval simulations of the aerosol vertical profile retrieval from Oxygen A-Band observations by GOSAT, the upcoming OCO-2 and Sentinel 5-P mission and the proposed CarbonSat mission have been carried out. These simulations suggest that such observations will be useful in the measurement of uplifted aerosols such as volcanic plumes and forest fires. Retrievals from GOSAT were also undertaken that showed promising results in challenging conditions, warranting further study. The Fabry-Perot Etalon spectrometer provides a compact, robust and affordable alternative to grating or Fourier transform spectrometers. Such an instrument was designed and optimised for the measurement of aerosol in the Oxygen A-Band and its performance simulated in comparison to GOSAT, where it competed well despite its low cost. Initial calibrations of the instrument were undertaken and showed promising results in the instrument operation concept. Following on from this simulations were used to study the performance of groundbased observations showing that using and combining a range of viewing angles would contribute significantly to the vertical information content whereas polarisation proved not to be useful except possibly in extreme circumstances. 2015-03-10T15:09:44Z Planned and happenstance transitions of students from education to work in England and Romania Plugor, Reka http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31839 2015-03-11T02:02:08Z 2015-03-10T14:50:15Z Title: Planned and happenstance transitions of students from education to work in England and Romania Authors: Plugor, Reka Abstract: The fact that students engage in more than just their studies while at university has been acknowledged in previous education research, but it has not been included in the theoretical debates on education-to-work-transitions. In this thesis I argue that the lack of debates between educational researchers and youth transitions researchers and the narrow focus of existing studies on certain educational aspects cannot do justice to the complex experiences and perceptions of young people today, who, I believe, experience multiple status positions while at university. In this thesis I try to address this gap by focusing on the process of student transitions from education to work from a comparative and biographical perspective. I conducted 42 topical life history interviews with final year students in England and Romania about their reasons for opting to study at university, the processes of deciding what and where to study, the impressions and attitudes towards their studies, the activities they were engaged in, and their future (career) plans just before graduation. I conducted this exercise with an explicit aim to answer my main research question: What are the characteristics of student pathways through HE? To answer this question I relied on the main concepts from youth transitions and education-to-work transitions research – structure and agency – but I included in the analysis considerations about significant others and happenstance events, as well as perspectives about time and space. Overall, from a theoretical perspective, my research responded to calls for more holistic perspectives on youth and education-to-work transitions, while from a methodological perspective, I offered a thick description of narrative research conducted from multi-lingual and multi-ethnic perspectives on the lived experiences of students in two country and institutional contexts. 2015-03-10T14:50:15Z "Abandon fat all ye who enter here!": (Dis)ordering the Male Body, c.1800-1910 Coar, Lisa http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31837 2015-03-11T02:02:30Z 2015-03-10T14:43:18Z Title: "Abandon fat all ye who enter here!": (Dis)ordering the Male Body, c.1800-1910 Authors: Coar, Lisa Abstract: 'For the convenience of the public', declared the author of an 1889 article printed in Punch, 'I would really suggest that the motto for ordinary busses should be, "Abandon fat, all ye who enter here!"' Such pressing 'abandonments', as facetious as they might seem, were, in fact, patently central in shaping (meta)physical ideals, throughout much of the long nineteenth century. The ideological structures underpinning numerous cultural strands – from the social and sporting, to the scientific and sartorial – espoused a fierce anorexic logic. They placed more emphasis on (in)corporeal discipline, compulsive (non)consumption, and (dis)embodied panopticism than ever before. Through adhering to its own idyllic prescriptions, nineteenth-century culture implemented varying strains of the bodily disorder it sought to expel. The cultural and corporeal orderliness it pursued became itself disorderly. Of course, there already exists a substantial amount of research focused on (dis)ordering the too fat or too thin bodies of the nineteenth-century female. With fleshly embodiment and dis-embodiment being stereotypical female concerns, we often forget to ask about the fat-phobic dis-corporation of men. Surveying a variety of textual material, printed roughly between the years 1800 and 1910, this thesis intends to reconfigure man's peripheral status in modern histories of diet, disorderly eating and fat shame. Dismissing the timeworn myth that fat is, and always has been, 'a feminist issue', it will explore how fat, body-image, and an intense desire to be slender became increasingly central to ideal constructions of the nineteenth-century male. 2015-03-10T14:43:18Z Assessment and Mechanism of the Refractory Period in Asthma Ruddick, Andrew http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31836 2015-03-11T10:50:57Z 2015-03-10T14:35:27Z Title: Assessment and Mechanism of the Refractory Period in Asthma Authors: Ruddick, Andrew Abstract: Hypothesis: The primary hypothesis of this thesis is that the refractory period in asthma is due to release of bronchoprotective mediator(s) within the airway and that these may be one or more of the pro-resolving lipid mediators such as lipoxins or resolvins. Methods: 1. Development of a LC-MS assay for the detection of pro-resolving mediators in sputum. 2. Development of an in vitro airway model using porcine and human bronchial rings. 3. A clinical study of mannitol-induced refractoriness with collection of urine and sputum to assess changes in prostaglandin and pro-resolving mediator levels. Key Results: 1. Approximate LC-MS limits of detection were 0.002, 0.01 and 0.04 pg/μl for PGE2, LXA4 and RvD1 respectively. These LOD compare favourably with ELISA. 2. Serial LC-MS analysis of spiked sputum samples showed that LXA4 appeared stable, while PGE2 and RvD1 showed some degradation over 5 months. 3. LXA4, RvD1 and MaR1 had no significant effect on the histamine response of porcine bronchial rings. 4. Bronchoconstriction with high concentration mannitol rendered an airway refractory to further contraction with direct ASM agonists via an unknown mechanism. 5. In human bronchial rings, neither 10 nM LXA4 nor 10 nM MaR1 had any effect on bronchoconstriction induced by mast cell FcμR1 activation. 6. In the clinical study, with bolus dosing the mean refractory index for mannitol was 24%. The degree of refractoriness to mannitol did not correlate with markers of disease severity. 7. Urinary PGD2 and PGE2 metabolite levels measured by ELISA showed no significant change in response to mannitol challenge. Sputum LXA4 and RvD1 levels measured by ELISA showed no consistent change in response to mannitol challenge. Conclusions: This study has found no evidence of a role for pro-resolving mediators in the mechanism of refractoriness. 2015-03-10T14:35:27Z Metal Cluster Production by Condensation of Metal Vapour in Supersonic Expansions and by Aggregation in Droplets Akraiam, Atea I. Bubaker http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31834 2015-03-11T02:02:18Z 2015-03-10T14:18:48Z Title: Metal Cluster Production by Condensation of Metal Vapour in Supersonic Expansions and by Aggregation in Droplets Authors: Akraiam, Atea I. Bubaker Abstract: Metal clusters have been produced by condensation of metal atoms on or inside small argon clusters and by collision of supersonic atomic argon beams with atomic metal vapours. A key parameter in both processes is the metal atom particle density. For iron, metal particle densities above a thermal open crucible-type evaporator were determined using quartz-micro-balance mass flux measurements, revealing a point-source-like dependence on the distance from the crucible. For silver atoms the particle densities were also determined using scattering from small argon clusters. Formation and soft-deposition of iron nanoparticles was first attempted using a supersonic beam of argon atoms that was blown into a vapour of iron atoms. Transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of iron nanoparticles whose size depended on the deposition time, showing that aggregation takes place after deposition. The deposition rates were of the order of 0.01 nm/s. In the second part of the study argon clusters containing on average 21 atoms were directed through vapours of xenon or silver atoms. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry showed the presence of xenon and silver clusters when the xenon or silver particle densities were increased. The xenon clusters contained up to four atoms whereas silver would only formdimers. The mass spectra also showed argon atoms attached to the xenon clusters, but not to the silver dimers, which was attributed to the high temperature of the silver dimers. 2015-03-10T14:18:48Z Evidence synthesis and decision modelling in public health Achana, Felix Adjuah http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31814 2015-03-07T02:03:01Z 2015-03-06T16:44:12Z Title: Evidence synthesis and decision modelling in public health Authors: Achana, Felix Adjuah Abstract: This thesis focuses on the challenges of evidence synthesis to inform healthcare decision making within public health. It encompasses both methodological advancement and practical application of existing synthesis methodology, using as an example - accidents prevention in children to illustrate application of the methods within a public health context. The thesis commences with a systematic review of NICE public health appraisals to identify the barriers to quantitative synthesis of evidence in public health. Then focusing on the prevention of unintentional poisonings in pre-school children, a series of network metaanalyses of the effectiveness evidence are conducted, demonstrating how complex synthesis methodology can be employed to help overcome some challenges of evidence synthesis in a identified in the review of the NICE public health appraisals. New synthesis methodology is then developed in which the standard network meta-analysis model is first extended to include a covariate for the baseline risk and then to a multiple outcome settings. Baseline risk is a proxy for unmeasured but important patient-level characteristics, which may be modifiers of the treatment effect in a meta-analysis. Thus adjusting for it can account for heterogeneity across different study populations and identify those more likely to benefit from the intervention. The multiple outcome models account for the dependency structure within the data which is important in a decision modelling context, as correlations between effect estimates on different outcomes may have implications for estimating the net benefit associated with treatment. Finally, a substantive decision analytic model is presented incorporating results from the network meta-analysis and application of the methodology developed to the poison prevention data. The analyses suggest that compared to usual care, more intensive home safety interventions are more effective in preventing medicinal poisonings in pre-school children but are unlikely to be cost-effective for the UK NHS unless policy makers are willing to pay upwards of £75,000 for every QALY gained. 2015-03-06T16:44:12Z MLP a novel Mucin-like cancer biomarker Aldali, Jehad Abdulrazaq Z. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31812 2015-03-07T02:02:44Z 2015-03-06T16:33:07Z Title: MLP a novel Mucin-like cancer biomarker Authors: Aldali, Jehad Abdulrazaq Z. Abstract: Malignant ovarian tumours pose a significant risk to women all over the world. Ovarian cancers are the fifth most common cancers among women in the UK. Mortality due to ovarian malignancies is unacceptably high and the disease is often called a "silent killer" as the early stages of ovarian malignancies present with a little to no symptoms. Ovarian cancer is therefore mostly diagnosed at a very late stage of tumour progression when treatment is hampered by metastastatic spread of the primary tumour. Ovarian tumours express and release a previously undescribed novel mucin-like protein (MLP), which is absent in normal ovarian tissue or benign ovarian cysts (Schwaeble, W and Walker, R unpublished results). This novel mucin-like protein is a glycoprotein composed of a protein backbone, which is highly glycosylated with O-linked oligosaccharides. The high degree of glycosylation accounts for most the molecular weight of the native glycoprotein. The aim of this project was to develop a reliable diagnostic assay for the early and non-invasive detection of ovarian malignancies using specific monoclonal antibodies for MLP detection. The early detection of ovarian malignancies poses a so far unmet clinical necessity. The presently used tumour-associated biomarkers (mainly based on the relatively non-specific tumour marker CA-125) unfortunately all fail to detect ovarian malignancies at an early stage. Recombinant MLP was produced in a bacterial expression system, purified, analysed by Western blotting and used to raise polyclonal antibodies for the development of an MLP- specific sandwich ELISA. Eight different hybridomas producing mouse monoclonal antibodies against recombinant human MLP were also grow up and supernatant tested. Three of the eight monoclonal antibodies were shown to recognise native, glycosylated MLP as well as the recombinant antigen. These three were characterised in detail by ELISA, immunohistochemical staining of tissue sections and Western blot analysis. Preliming experiments were performed using the three monoclonal antibodies and the goat anti-MLP antiserum to investigate the properties of the antibodies and their sutability for establishing a sandwish ELISA able to detect the presence of MLP in serum for the development of a test for the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. 2015-03-06T16:33:07Z Obesity frames in British and German online newspapers, 2009-2011 Atanasova, Dimitrinka http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31810 2015-03-07T02:02:44Z 2015-03-06T16:24:43Z Title: Obesity frames in British and German online newspapers, 2009-2011 Authors: Atanasova, Dimitrinka Abstract: Obesity affects people worldwide and in Western Europe, Britain and Germany have among the highest rates. It is thus unsurprising that research has tried to identify its causes. The media have been found to play a role - media use correlates with weight gain. The media can also affect obesity in another way - by featuring news articles which discuss certain aspects of obesity rather than others the media can, like a window, frame these aspects as especially applicable to how obesity should be understood and addressed. Informed by framing theory, this research integrated the study of: 1) news media content with the study of its antecedents - by analysing factors affecting news production; 2) news media content with the study of accompanying readers' comments to identify correlations that may be used as a starting point for researching the consequences of news media exposure; 3) texts and photographs which together make up news media content. This study asked: 1) what frames did news articles employ and with what frequency; 2) were news articles in what emerged as the most frequently used frame also driven by the highest number of distinct news values and did significant differences in the use of frames exist between media outlets of different political leanings and reporting styles; 3) was frame use in news articles significantly correlated with frame use in readers' comments. It emerged that: 1) among the frames of 'medical progress', 'self-control', 'education', 'environments', 'acceptance' and 'coming out', 'self-control' was most frequently used; 2) its use was not explained by the concentration of distinct news values, yet significant differences in frame use between media outlets lent themselves to explanation via political leaning and reporting style; 3) frame use in news articles was significantly correlated with frame use in readers' comments except 'self-control'. 2015-03-06T16:24:43Z Explaining variations in mortality rates at general practice level Honeyford, Catherine Eliza http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31809 2015-03-07T02:02:41Z 2015-03-06T16:14:42Z Title: Explaining variations in mortality rates at general practice level Authors: Honeyford, Catherine Eliza Abstract: This thesis aims to identify features of primary care associated with improved health outcomes using premature coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality as an example. Impacts of different modelling approaches are also explored. A cross-sectional study of 229 general practices in the East Midlands was undertaken. The main outcome measure was numbers of premature CHD deaths in patients registered at the practices (April 2006 to March 2009). Publicly available data describing both population characteristics and aspects of primary care were utilised. A novel method of estimating smoking prevalence in practice populations was described and differing methods of describing the performance of primary care in detecting hypertension were evaluated. Population characteristics and markers of quality of primary care were associated with variations in premature CHD mortality. Increases in: the percentage of practice populations on practice diabetes registers, the proportion who were over 65, the proportion who were male, and the estimated smoking prevalence in patients with chronic conditions were all associated with increasing levels of premature CHD mortality. Control of serum cholesterol levels in those with CHD and the percentage of patients recalling access to their preferred general practitioner, a measure of continuity of care, were both associated with decreased counts of premature CHD mortality. Increasing levels of undiagnosed hypertension prevalence were associated with increased levels of premature CHD mortality. Similar results were found for all-age mortality; there is less evidence that continuity of care is associated with all-age CHD mortality. High-quality primary care, including aspects of access to and continuity of care, disease detection and management, appear to be associated with reduced CHD mortality. Data gathered as part of the Health Checks initiative has the potential to improve studies of this type, particularly if published by age group. Determining the most useful measures of quality of primary care needs further consideration. 2015-03-06T16:14:42Z Bank efficiency and lending propensity: evidence from commercial banks in Indonesia Anwar, Mokhamad http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31807 2015-03-07T02:02:38Z 2015-03-06T16:07:55Z Title: Bank efficiency and lending propensity: evidence from commercial banks in Indonesia Authors: Anwar, Mokhamad Abstract: Indonesia is one of the emerging economies, which has been adopting a bank-based system in the economy. It is very important to investigate the Indonesian commercial banks' performance given their substantial contribution to the development of the country. This thesis aims to measure and analyse the performance of Indonesian banks in terms of their efficiency and lending propensity over the period 2002-2010. The period testifies the recovery phase after the turmoil caused by the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-98 as well as the revocation of the regulation of minimum threshold on commercial banks' small business loans (finance) in 2001. This thesis employs frontier methods in estimating bank efficiency where both parametric and non-parametric linear programming approaches are used, namely Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). The former is used to estimate the technical efficiencies and the latter is used to estimate the cost efficiencies of Indonesian banks over the period 2002-2010. This thesis also examines the lending propensity of Indonesian banks reflected by the tendency of their total loans and small business loans over the study period. The findings suggest that the technical efficiency of Indonesian banks tends to decrease whilst the opposite tendency is associated with their cost efficiency during the period. The downward trend of their technical efficiency stems from the fact that the period was the post-crisis of 1997-98 where banks were still unsteady to maintain high level of outputs over inputs. While the upward trend of their cost efficiency reflects their intensity to operate more economically in employing their resources during the period. The latter result testifies that Indonesian bank management took lessons learnt from the failure of their previous operations during the crisis. In addition, their total lending propensity is prone to increase over time during the period albeit they have not reached yet the optimum proportions. In contrast, their lending propensity to small businesses witnessed a diminishing pattern over the period. A regulatory change in 2001 seems to discourage Indonesian banks to lend to small businesses. Loans to deposits or lending proportions emerges to be the most important factor enhancing bank efficiency, whilst bank size and bank deposits are the foremost factors influencing the lending propensity of Indonesian banks over the study period. 2015-03-06T16:07:55Z What influences the harmonisation of cancer tissue banks in the UK?: an ethnographic study Wright, Jessica http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31806 2015-03-07T02:02:36Z 2015-03-06T15:57:50Z Title: What influences the harmonisation of cancer tissue banks in the UK?: an ethnographic study Authors: Wright, Jessica Abstract: Persuasive arguments exist as to why the harmonisation of tissue banks is important. Yet harmonisation has not happened on a large scale and empirical research has not investigated the reasons for this in detail. This thesis presents the results of ethnographic research using the case study of cancer tissue banks to identify influences on harmonisation. The research involved 40 interviews and over 117 hours of observations with professionals working across 15 organisations. Data analysis was based on the constant comparative method with use of sensitising constructs from literatures on standards and diffusion of innovation. A new model of the tissue supply chain was developed and refined against the findings. Harmonisation depends on the creation, implementation and outcome of standards. The empirical work showed that a complex picture of harmonisation emerges when the creation, implementation and outcome of standards are considered separately. Different factors act as barriers or facilitators, or as both, at each stage. Standard creation in cancer tissue banks is obstructed by a lack of agreement between organisations and professionals, who may have differing interests and views on the appropriate type and scope of standards, who should create them and how. Standard implementation can be enabled or hindered by standard design, the actions and features of organisations, and individual and professional factors. Critically, the outcome of implementing standards has not always increased harmonisation; in some cases the result is fragmentation, duplication or exclusion. The thesis describes cross-cutting political, social and technical issues that arise during the tissue supply chain and throughout the stages of standard creation and implementation, making harmonisation complicated and difficult to achieve. Eight recommendations are offered for how harmonisation can be facilitated in practice. Description: The following figures have been removed due to copyright reasons: 2-1, 2-3, 2-4, 2-7, 2-10. 2015-03-06T15:57:50Z Geophysical investigations of the deep geology of the East Midlands Arter, Graham http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31805 2015-03-07T02:03:15Z 2015-03-06T14:37:43Z Title: Geophysical investigations of the deep geology of the East Midlands Authors: Arter, Graham Abstract: Late Precambrian meta-sediments and Caledonian granitic intrusions are exposed in Leicestershire. Similar rocks are found at shallow depth in boreholes from Leicester to East Anglia. Two seismic refraction experiments, each comprising two 10-30 km. profiles, have been carried out over potential field anomalies in the East Midlands. The Melton Mowbray experiment, located to the east of the Charnian Inlier, defined the top surface of the Melton Mowbray granitic intrusion at less than 0.5 km. depth, and the southern margin of the Carboniferous Widmerpool Gulf. The Melton intrusion was found to have a similar p-wave velocity (c. 5.7 km.s-1 ) to the surrounding Precambrian basement. The refraction interpretations, together with some seismic reflection data, are used to constrain 3-dimensional modelling of the aeromagnetic anomalies in this area. The Peterborough experiment was located over a negative Bouguer gravity anomaly to the north of Peterborough. Refractor velocities typical of late Precambrian basement were detected at shallow depth (0.5 km.) across the gravity anomaly. The gravity data is modelled as a intra-basement intrusion. Measurements have been made of physical properties of samples of basement rocks from outcrop and from boreholes within the area. These are used in the interpretation of the potential field data. A pre-Carboniferous palaeogeological map has been compiled from borehole and geophysical data. A compilation of nonconfidential borehole data is included as an appendix. The potential field and seismic studies show that two groups of granitic intrusions can be recognised, one group is more basic than the other. 2015-03-06T14:37:43Z Land use and industrialization in Lagos, Nigeria Amos, Ajato http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31804 2015-03-07T02:03:13Z 2015-03-06T14:18:19Z Title: Land use and industrialization in Lagos, Nigeria Authors: Amos, Ajato Abstract: This study of Lagos is arranged in two parts. The first part, in Volume I, contains five chapters in which the thesis subject and the study area are introduced, a geographical examination of the study area is presented, the nature of industrialization examined; and, finally, the nature and problems of land acquisition ownership are discussed in detail. In Volume 2 - A theoretical treatment of the thesis problem, involving a review of existing, theories in land use studies and introducing some original concepts on impact analysis as well as a model derived from the Lagos Study. Detailed case studies of each of the 56 land use categories are examined. Conclusions and suggestions arising from the study from the subject of the final chapter. In view of the large amount of supporting material, in maps, tables, figures and photographs, it became necessary to provide a third volume for the reader's convenience. The third volume is, therefore, available for use in conjunction with either of the two volumes of text. The Lagos land use map at the scale of 1:50,000, forms a key document prepared by the author for this study and is provided in a folded form in a special pocket attached to Volume 1. Map 9 is a reduced A4 size of Map 8. Description: Thesis in 3 volumes 2015-03-06T14:18:19Z Road safety budget optimisation model for the state of Bahrain AL-Zayani, Salman Rashid http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31803 2015-03-07T02:02:50Z 2015-03-06T12:02:49Z Title: Road safety budget optimisation model for the state of Bahrain Authors: AL-Zayani, Salman Rashid Abstract: The aim of this study is to develop a procedure that can be used for the optimal allocation of funds available for road safety remedial measures in the State of Bahrain. The study reviews the nature of the road accidents problem in Bahrain in sufficient detail to highlight the relative magnitude ·and seriousness of the problem. Factors comprising the total (comprehensive) cost of road safety remedial measures with special application to Bahrain (including the capital and maintenance costs of the remedial measures and accident component of road user costs) are identified and analysed. A methodology for identifying the most hazardous locations on the road network is then developed. Using this methodology preliminary and primary rankings of sites are determined. 70 hazardous locations are identified and analysed. A programme of 26 countermeasures is then drawn up and the effectiveness of 10 different types of alternative improvements is evaluated with special emphasis on the regression-to-mean effect. The other 16 countermeasures effectiveness estimates are adopted from other sources. A Budget Optimisation Model Computer Programme (BOM) is then developed using multi-stage dynamic programming for selecting an optimal set of schemes under a single-period budget constraint. Within the constraint that it must choose only one alternative for each location, BOM selects a group of alternatives that produces an optimal overall net present value (NPV) within the resource constraint level. BOM is then used to determine the optimum combination of improvement of the 70 sites with different budgets. In all budgets, BOM searches throughout the list of projects for those alternatives which would provide the greatest NPV. Projects with different budgets are clearly economically viable and viability is further demonstrated by the sensitivity tests which are subsequently carried out. Finally, it is shown that improvements selected by a dynamic programming can yield a higher return for a given budget than those chosen entirely on the basis of benefit-cost ratio. 2015-03-06T12:02:49Z The Trent, Glen Parva and Blue Anchor Formations (Upper Triassic) of the East Midlands and their Sulphate Deposits Taylor, S. R. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31802 2015-03-06T02:02:10Z 2015-03-05T16:51:30Z Title: The Trent, Glen Parva and Blue Anchor Formations (Upper Triassic) of the East Midlands and their Sulphate Deposits Authors: Taylor, S. R. Abstract: Norian and Rhaetian (Upper Triassic) sediments from the Mercia Mudstone Group of the East Midlands are described. Four facies are recognized; (1) sheet flood, (2) red-bed saline mudflat, (3) lacustrine and (4) marginal. Sedimentation occurred on an extensive peneplain which had areas of minor relief. Interstitial sulphate precipitation from hypersaline brines formed widespread evaporitic gypsum and anhydrite horizons. Dolomitization of carbonate material and possibly extensive interstitial halite growth also occurred. Displacive sulphate masses in Fauld Mine are recognized to be diapiric structures associated with an identifiable source bed. Fault movement triggered flowage of water-saturated, source bed gypsum. A new approach to correlating fine-grained, unfossiliferous red-beds utilizes variations in clay mineralogy and δ18o dolomite. The Trent Formation is subdivided by this method into the Fauld Member and overlying Hawton Member. An isotopic study of the Trent Formation sulphates (S, Sr) and dolomites (C, 0) indicates that during deposition of the Fauld Member, grabens and adjacent areas had a marine brine regime with minor continental input (up to 20% sulphate derived from continental sulphides). The morst area was strongly influenced by continental brines which derived sulphate from the exposed Carboniferous Hathern Anhydrite Series. The Hawton member brine regime was predominantly continental with periodic marine influxes. Two distinct clay suites are recognized. The first is characterized by a predominance of detrital illite and chlorite ( = Hawton Member); the second is characterized by the presence of either Mg-rich smectite/chlorite and/or palygorskite and/or sepiolite with minor illite and chlorite (=Fauld Member). Sepiolite and palygorskite were neoformed, whilst smectite/chlorite was transformed from degraded detrital illite. Both processes occurred in an alkaline brine regime rich in Mg[superscript 2+] and amorphous silica. The distribution of Mg-rich clays reflects availability of [superscript 2+], Al[superscript 3+] and Si within the brines. 2015-03-05T16:51:30Z The orient and three Victorian travellers: Kinglake. Burton and Palgrave Al-Taha, Muhammad http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31796 2015-03-06T02:02:09Z 2015-03-05T16:17:57Z Title: The orient and three Victorian travellers: Kinglake. Burton and Palgrave Authors: Al-Taha, Muhammad Abstract: This thesis is concerned with the travel writings of three Victorian travellers to the Middle East, Alexander William Kinglake, Sir Richard Francis Burton and William Gifford Palgrave. Its main aim is to show how the three travellers viewed the Orient through their own ideology which was tainted by the idea of the Empire and the European feeling of racial superiority and how such ideology limited their actual observations to the extent that they expressed in their literary works on the Orient more of their own ideology than the reality of the Orient. The thesis will, therefore, show their works not so much as knowledge of the "reality" of the Orient, but as an expression of their ideology in relation to non-Europeans and of the writers themselves and their unique sensibility. It will also show how their writings reveal more of their inner conflicts and psychological reaction to certain happenings and become more literary to the extent that they wrote a species of "fiction'' ; how they did much to create a blurred image of the Orient in the nineteenth-century British mind; and how they added practically nothing to the European knowledge of Arabia, though certainly to the literature on Arabia. The thesis consists of two parts comprising in all five chapters and a conclusion. The first two chapters are introductory ones dealing with the Europeans' image of the Orient till the nineteenth century and the main factors which encouraged travel and exploration in the Victorian era. The three other chapters deal respectively with Kinglake's Eothen, Burton's Pilgrimage, and Palgrave's Central and Eastern Arabia. These chapters analyze the way the nineteenth-century European ideology directed and limited the three travellers' observations in relation to the Orient. 2015-03-05T16:17:57Z Fault diagnosis for a satellite system using sliding mode observers Nagesh, Indira http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31619 2015-02-06T02:02:35Z 2015-02-05T14:48:16Z Title: Fault diagnosis for a satellite system using sliding mode observers Authors: Nagesh, Indira Abstract: This thesis presents the theoretical development along with verification and validation campaign for fault detection and isolation (FDI) schemes applied to a satellite system. Specifically FDI schemes developed in the thesis are applied to the problems of actuator and sensor fault detection based on the nonlinear model of Mars Express Satellite (MEX). Model based FDI schemes are not implemented in the current health monitor schemes on board the MEX satellite, which is an over actuated system with the actuators and sensors having a specific tetrahedral configuration. A simple nonlinear sliding mode observers based on unit vector and super twisting methods developed in the thesis are verified on both rigid body and flexible mode models of the nonlinear MEX satellite. Faults for thrusters are applied during initial strong controller mode phase and also later stages of sun acquisition mode (SAM). Both dedicated observers and a bank of observers are designed to generate residuals which are used to detect and isolate faults. Unlike the reduced order systems typically obtained when using sliding modes in literature, this particular application produces no reduced order dynamics. All the schemes utilize the equivalent injection signal found in the sliding mode literature, which are then filtered using a simple integrator to generate threshold based residual analysis to detect faults or isolate faulty components. Verification and validation campaign consists initially with specific fault simulation and later with Monte Carlo simulations with uncertainties and noise are used to verify the performance of the designed schemes. A new multi-variable version of the super twisting algorithm is proposed along with a Lyapunov approach to analyze its stability. Existing super twisting schemes assumes a single control input structure. The proposed scheme demonstrates that it can be applicable to vector cases, where the decoupling of the control input between states is not possible. Finally a comparison between first order sliding mode observers based on unit vector methods and a second order super twisting observer is made using Monte Carlo simulations in the presence of noise and uncertainty for both the rigid body and flexible mode models of the satellite. The analysis establishes that both methods show good performance and robustness for fault diagnosis, which can be applied for all controller mode changes during several phases of SAM. 2015-02-05T14:48:16Z A proposal for International Court of State and Corporate Disputes - the ICSCD Truman, Iris http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31617 2015-02-10T09:49:18Z 2015-02-05T14:33:17Z Title: A proposal for International Court of State and Corporate Disputes - the ICSCD Authors: Truman, Iris Abstract: The present study focuses on the gaps and lacunas of the current international legal system as a unified system, specialising in commercial and investment disputes arising between sovereign states and Multi-National Enterprises (MNEs). As shown extensively throughout this work, the lack of such court in an ever-tightening global economy has some rather severe implications both for the states and (to a lesser degree) for MNEs. Although numerous attempts have been made to rectify the situation, successful and comprehensive outcomes are still lacking. In response, this thesis proposes establishment of an International Court of State and Corporate Disputes (hereinafter ICSCD) as an answer to the various legal problems that the current system does not address. This type of court would give a coherence and finality to an international court system, both of which are mandatory for any legal system. Thus, this work presents an integration of the most important issues demonstrating the need for such a comprehensive system, and deepens the discussion on their inherited complexities and ramifications. Most significantly, it also attempts to show, as an original contribution to this field of study, how the ICSCD may provide satisfying answers for these issues ; i.e. definition of MNEs status and personality, conflict of interest between national and international courts, lack of an international commercial court that has jurisdiction world-wide, compliance, and enforceability of decisions. 2015-02-05T14:33:17Z The Representation and Reception of the Devil in the Eleventh Century Roberson, Owen Gruffydd Tudor http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31609 2015-02-06T02:01:57Z 2015-02-05T12:11:35Z Title: The Representation and Reception of the Devil in the Eleventh Century Authors: Roberson, Owen Gruffydd Tudor Abstract: This thesis examines the representation of the devil in late Anglo-Saxon England as perceived by the large, lay audience, which is represented only rarely in the textual record. Considering the relationship between the interpretations of the period as evinced by literary, historical and archaeological evidence, the investigation considers the extent to which we can discern the presence and profile of an audience for the themes with which the evidence is concerned. The surviving vernacular texts of late Anglo-Saxon England indicate a growth in the importance of the canon of homiletic texts and an expansion of its function in the last decades of the tenth century. By considering the representation of the character of the devil and similar characters such as attendant demons, Antichrist, and human agents typologically and explicitly linked with the devil, this thesis takes the traditional approach of a thematic investigation and augments it by considering the impact of these representations in the context of their relative influence on audiences as evinced by their survival in the manuscript record. Considering the authors' subsequent re-engagement with their own canons, this thesis seeks to locate attitudes towards audience and the manner in which the expressive opportunity offered by the devil is moulded to its function in motivating specific action in the texts' audience. Through their representation of the devil, homilists show both active engagement with their audiences' pastoral needs and anxiety about their limitations. 2015-02-05T12:11:35Z Becoming other(ed): A study of minority ethnic identities in two non-urban primary schools Bracken, Sean Anthony http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31601 2015-02-05T02:02:05Z 2015-02-04T16:46:17Z Title: Becoming other(ed): A study of minority ethnic identities in two non-urban primary schools Authors: Bracken, Sean Anthony Abstract: This thesis is primarily concerned with immigrant pupils and their identity formation in primary schools. In particular, the research advances understanding about the experiences of pupils in non-urban settings and their educational experiences. It charts how narrative pathways of identities are unpredictable and charged with affectivities, emotions and power flows. The nuanced interrelationships are revealed between: wider policy contexts, school level processes, and the identity categories around which educational inclusions, exclusions and inequalities orbit. The research paradigm drew on a Deleuzian philosophical approach and also took into consideration learning from Critical Race Theory (CRT). The former provided a conceptual framework which facilitated a discussion of bounded potentialities which were open to reinterpretation and future creativities – things do not have to be as they are. While the latter perspective helped to explain the ways in which inequalities were replicated in the researched settings. The findings indicate that, for the pupils concerned, policy formations and their interpretations within schools have profound implications for pupils' experiences by assigning pupils to particular spaces within classrooms. In turn, these spaces begin to assume meanings that impact on the formation of personal and educational identities. To some extent, spaces are charged with racial and ethnic significance. Overall, the school arena is one which responds to a wider drive towards standardisation and, as such, it was challenging for the schools involved to incorporate individual cultural and linguistic differences, though this varied according to setting. The findings have relevance for teacher education and for how the professional and cultural identities of teachers also influence the wider possibilities for cultural and linguistic inclusion and creativity within schools. 2015-02-04T16:46:17Z Development and Verification of Injection Systems for Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) Analysis of Diverse Volatile Organic Compounds Patel, Milan Ashvinbhai http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31599 2015-02-05T02:01:49Z 2015-02-04T16:40:44Z Title: Development and Verification of Injection Systems for Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) Analysis of Diverse Volatile Organic Compounds Authors: Patel, Milan Ashvinbhai Abstract: The PTR-MS is the well-established technique in the field of analysis of volatile compounds from air, food and breath. The principal advantage of the technique is real time analysis, high sensitivity and less fragmentation. However, this technique requires the samples in the gas phase and therefore, liquid samples cannot be analysed directly. The leading focus of this thesis was to develop a technique that will enable the use of the aqueous sample to extend the application of the PTR-MS. This thesis documents the design and calibration of the sample inlet systems and subsequent application development. The initial work dedicated to develop and calibrate the heated inlet system (HIS) to inject the aqueous sample, volatile organic solvent sample and headspace above the liquid sample. The subsequent development and calibration of the capillary inlet system (CIS) for the continuous injection of the aqueous sample is documented in this thesis. Applications for the environmental, food and diagnostic field were developed. In the environmental field, identification and calibration of the pesticide compounds from the water was performed. Acceptable sensitivity and limit of quantification (~ 1.0 μg/mL) was achieved for organophosphate pesticides used in the experiments. Further work is required to improve the sensitivity and lower the limit of quantification to ng/mL levels instead of μg/mL levels. Additional work is required for the detection and quantification for the chlorinated pesticides, as PTR-ToF-MS instrument used in this thesis is not able to detect these pesticides. For the food field, Scotch whiskies were successfully characterised based on their VOC profiles. Lastly, for the diagnostic field, urine headspace from five volunteers was analysed, to identify and to quantify different VOCs. Different VOCs (different ketones and aldehydes) were successfully identified and quantified. The precision of the measurement for acetone and acetaldehyde was 13.7% and 15.6%, respectively. Further work with bigger pool of volunteers, and a technique in which urine samples can be injected directly is required to establish the database for the VOCs and to improve the sensitivity of VOCs. Lastly, a two-stage technique was developed to identify isobaric compounds that are chemically different but have a similar mass. For example, butanal which is an aldehyde and butanone, which is a ketone, are chemically different but both compounds have a mass of 72 amu. In this thesis, as stated above, it is documented that liquid samples can be analysed by using PTR-MS, but further work is required to resolve the issues like contamination and handling of large sample volume. 2015-02-04T16:40:44Z Mothers Experiences of Hospice in the Care of their Child: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Reflective Diaries and Interviews. Sayers, Lauren http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31598 2015-02-05T02:02:07Z 2015-02-04T16:33:25Z Title: Mothers Experiences of Hospice in the Care of their Child: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Reflective Diaries and Interviews. Authors: Sayers, Lauren Abstract: The present study has three constituent parts. The first is a critical literature review, the second is a self-contained research report and the third is a critical appraisal of the research from the researcher's perspective. 2015-02-04T16:33:25Z Development and application of methodology for the parametric analysis of complex survival and joint longitudinal-survival data in biomedical research Crowther, Michael James http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31597 2015-02-05T02:01:58Z 2015-02-04T16:22:52Z Title: Development and application of methodology for the parametric analysis of complex survival and joint longitudinal-survival data in biomedical research Authors: Crowther, Michael James Abstract: The occurrence of survival, or time-to-event, data is commonplace in medical research, where interest lies in the time it takes from a given baseline, for an event of interest to occur, and the factors that are associated with it. For example, this could be the effect of a treatment on the time to death since diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The primary aim of this thesis is to develop parametric methods for the analysis of complex survival data, including the extension to joint models of longitudinal and survival data, to provide a number of advantages over the commonly used semi-parametric Cox model. New and current methodology is often assessed using simulation studies; however, often in the field of survival analysis they are simplistic and fail to reflect biologically plausible scenarios. In this thesis a general algorithm for simulating complex survival data, from any given hazard function, is proposed and assessed. A general framework for the parametric analysis of survival data is then developed, utilising numerical quadrature, illustrated in detail using the special case of restricted cubic splines to model the baseline hazard and time-dependent effects. Extensions to the framework including cluster robust standard errors and excess mortality models are also considered. Finally, the joint longitudinal-survival modelling framework is extended to incorporate the Royston- Parmar survival model, and a mixture of two parametric distributions, both evaluated through simulation, utilising the proposed simulation algorithm, showing advantages over more simple parametric approaches. The estimation of joint models, using Gaussian quadrature, is also evaluated through an extensive simulation study. Throughout the thesis, user friendly software is developed to implement the methodological components, allowing statisticians and non-statisticians alike, to apply the methods directly. A variety of clinical datasets in the areas of cancer, cardiovascular disease and liver cirrhosis are used to exemplify the proposals. 2015-02-04T16:22:52Z Functional analysis of novel genetic markers of coronary artery disease identified by genome-wide association studies Braund, Peter Stuart http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31595 2015-02-05T02:01:53Z 2015-02-04T16:12:05Z Title: Functional analysis of novel genetic markers of coronary artery disease identified by genome-wide association studies Authors: Braund, Peter Stuart Abstract: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the commonest cause of death worldwide. It is a multifactorial disease caused by interplay between genes and environment. Defining genes that affect CAD risk and understanding their mechanisms may help to improve its prevention and treatment. Recent genome-wide association studies have identified several novel loci associated with CAD. In this thesis I examined two of these loci. The first was a locus on chromosome 1p13.3. I showed that this locus was also associated with LDL-cholesterol. Fine-mapping of the locus and in silico analyses suggested that SNP rs12740374, where the risk allele disrupts binding of a liver-specific transcription factor, is probably the causal variant at the locus. Finally, I showed that the lipid-lowering effect of statin is independent of this locus, suggesting that targeting the mechanism by which this locus affects LDL-cholesterol may provide additional therapeutic benefit. The second locus was on chromosome 13q34 located near the COL4A1 and COL4A2 genes which code for collagen Type 4, a key component of the arterial wall. In silico analyses identified an intronic 4-SNP haplotype within a bidirectional promoter that was likely to include the causal variant(s). A putative kidney expression QTL was identified with the CAD risk allele associated with lower expression of COL4A1 and COL4A2. Functional experiments showed DNA-protein binding to the SNPs in the haploblock. However, there were no differences in level of DNA-binding between the alleles or a differential impact on gene expression. In a clinical study, there was no difference between the 13q34 genotype groups in restenosis rates in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angioplasty. In conclusion, the work on locus 1p13.3 shows that it is possible to identify a causal SNP from a GWA study signal, and elucidate its mechanism, but the studies on locus 13q34, indicates that this is a challenging process. 2015-02-04T16:12:05Z CJ0700 is a remote Chez Orthologue involved in Campylobacter jejuni chemotaxis signal transduction Jama, Abdullahi Said http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31594 2015-02-05T02:02:06Z 2015-02-04T16:05:13Z Title: CJ0700 is a remote Chez Orthologue involved in Campylobacter jejuni chemotaxis signal transduction Authors: Jama, Abdullahi Said Abstract: The major food borne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni utilizes chemotaxis to colonise the chicken gastrointestinal tract. Similar to the Escherichia coli chemotaxis system, C. jejuni produces a CheA-CheW-CheY backbone that transduces signals from surface chemoreceptors to direct flagellar rotational direction. In contrast to E. coli, C. jejuni also expresses CheV and CheA has a response regulator domain. The phosphorylation level of CheY in E. coli is modulated by the phosphatase CheZ, however until recently C. jejuni was thought to lack a CheZ homologue. The Hp0170 protein of Helicobacter pylori was shown to be a CheZ remote homologue. As C. jejuni Cj0700 has homology with HP0170, it was postulated that Cj0700 acts as a CheZ orthologue in campylobacters. The aim of this project was to characterise the role of Cj0700 in C. jejuni chemotaxis and demonstrate the phosphatase activity of the protein on C. jejuni CheY, CheV and the response regulator domain of CheA (CheA-RR). A mutant (Δcj0700) and the cognate complement (Δcj0700, Cj0046::cj0700) were constructed in C. jejuni NCTC 11168. No growth differences were seen between Δcj0700, ΔcheY and wild-type. On semi-solid agar the Δcj0700 mutant strain showed reduced motility relative to the wild-type and this phenotype was reversed in the complemented strain. The effect of a mutation in cj0700 was also demonstrated in C. jejuni strains 81-176 and 81116. Cj0700 was expressed as a His-tagged protein and was found to dephosphorylate C. jejuni CheY protein. Expressed Cj0700 also dephosphorylated CheA-RR-P and CheV-P, but less efficiently than CheY-P. The ability of Cj0700 to interact with CheY, CheA-RR and CheV was investigated using an in vitro pull down assay and also in a two hybrid system in E. coli. Using these approaches Cj0700 was shown to interact with CheY, CheA-RR and CheV, with the strength of interaction correlating with the observed cognate phosphatase activity. Although attempts to crystallise Cj0700 were not successful, a combination of bioinformatics, CD and NMR approaches indicated that expressed Cj0700 contains significant levels of disorder. These findings indicate that cj0700 has a role in C. jejuni chemotaxis and shows that Cj0700 can promote dephosphorylation of CheY and hence is likely to be a CheZ orthologue. Furthermore, Cj0700 also modulates the phosphorylation level of the response regulator domain on CheA and may also affect the related domain in CheV. 2015-02-04T16:05:13Z Bankside Power Station: Planning, Politics and Pollution Murray, Stephen Andrew http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31592 2015-02-05T02:02:02Z 2015-02-04T15:56:23Z Title: Bankside Power Station: Planning, Politics and Pollution Authors: Murray, Stephen Andrew Abstract: Electricity has been a feature of the British urban landscape since the 1890s. Yet there are few accounts of urban electricity undertakings or their generating stations. This history of Bankside power station uses government and company records to analyse the supply, development and use of electricity in the City of London, and the political, economic and social contexts in which the power station was planned, designed and operated. The close-focus adopted reveals issues that are not identified in, or are qualifying or counter-examples to, the existing macro-scale accounts of the wider electricity industry. Contrary to the perceived backwardness of the industry in the inter-war period this study demonstrates that Bankside was part of an efficient and profitable private company which was increasingly subject to bureaucratic centralised control. Significant decision-making processes are examined including post-war urban planning by local and central government and technological decision-making in the electricity industry. The study contributes to the history of technology and the environment through an analysis of the technologies that were proposed or deployed at the post-war power station, including those intended to mitigate its impact, together with an examination of their long-term effectiveness. Bankside made a valuable contribution to electricity supplies in London until the 1973 Middle East oil crisis compromised its economic viability. In addition to altered economic externalities, changing environmental and social conditions influenced how Bankside was perceived. Its pollution became increasingly unacceptable and the building itself came to be seen as a major architectural and industrial archaeological achievement. The transformation to Tate Modern in 2000 was instrumental in the social repositioning of the gloomy post-industrial Bankside locality to a modern cultural area. Bankside's central London location, its architectural and technological design, and its role as Tate Modern make this a significant case study in urban history, environmental history and the history of technology. Description: Image removed from page 291 due to copyright restrictions. 2015-02-04T15:56:23Z Electrical Resistivity Measurements in Coal: assessment of coal-bed methane content, reserves and coal permeability Afonso, Joao Mealha Sequeira http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31591 2015-02-04T15:49:09Z 2015-02-04T15:49:09Z Title: Electrical Resistivity Measurements in Coal: assessment of coal-bed methane content, reserves and coal permeability Authors: Afonso, Joao Mealha Sequeira Abstract: Coal-bed methane (CBM), also referred to as Coal seam gas (CSG), relates to the production of methane from coal beds by drilling wells, hence lowering formation pressure, and triggering methane release. While the potential of this resource is significant, the assessment of the quantity and the producibility of methane from coal seams is highly variable. For this reason the objective of this work is to investigate the assessment of gas content, gas-in-place and coal permeability through petrophysical of analysis and by gaining a better understanding of coal bulk properties,. In this study 17 cored production wells were analysed from the Walloon Sub-group coal seams fairway in the Surat Basin in Queensland Australia, which is today the most ambitious investment in CSG worldwide. A total of 2374 coal beds were investigated to understand how the nature of the different coal lithotypes are reflected in core analysis, wireline logs measurements and DST test results, and how they affect coal quality, and control gas content, fracture development and reservoir permeability. High-resolution studies involving fine scale are required to estimate volumes and CSG formation evaluation turns to the interpretation of standard wireline tools readings in hundreds of coal seam wells. Nevertheless, the heterogeneous thin-bedded nature of coal seams, together with the fact that methane within coal is mainly stored by adsorption, create several difficulties in wireline log petrophysical analysis. Consequently core description is used to validate the combination of the density log with the shallow focused electric and induction resistivity measurements, benefitting the recognition and thickness estimation of thin coal beds and coal laminae rich mudstones. This observation, and a refined coal quality and gas content estimation methodology, are presented and tested against previously published workflows and provide an improved and tested strategy for petrophysical analysis of CSG. 2015-02-04T15:49:09Z Exploring the use of synchrotron X-ray scattering methods for the detection of heterogeneous nucleation Brown, Adam Jonathan http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31590 2015-02-05T02:01:51Z 2015-02-04T15:39:10Z Title: Exploring the use of synchrotron X-ray scattering methods for the detection of heterogeneous nucleation Authors: Brown, Adam Jonathan Abstract: The process of solidification is fundamental to a wide range of engineering processes. In most practical cases, such as in grain refinement of aluminium alloys, heterogeneous nucleation is the predominant route by which the transformation of liquid to solid is initiated. The mechanism by which solid crystal grows from heterogeneous particles is widely investigated but not fully understood. This study explores a novel approach to investigating nucleation through the use of synchrotron X-ray scattering techniques. The novel approach provides unprecedented access to the interactions at the solid-liquid interface and permits in-situ data collection as phase transformations proceed. Liquid aluminium was used as a relevant test case, and solid Al2O3 and TiB2 substrates are used to represent, respectively, a model case and industrially relevant scenario for grain refinement. Experimental results reveal the undercooling required for nucleation in the Al/Al[subscript 2]O[subscript 3] system. They also provide detail on thermal expansion in the aluminium prior to melting. Crystal Truncation Rod analysis reveals the existence of a 'transition layer' between Al[subscript 2]O[subscript 3] and Al, which is suggested to arise to accommodate residual strain in the solidified aluminium. For the Al/TiB[subscript 2] system, an innovative sample preparation method facilitated investigation of the interface between the materials, providing an experimental model of a TiB[subscript 2] particle within an aluminium melt. Results indicate the proclivity for the formation of Al[subscript 3]Ti in the system, and lead to the proposal that this is likely to occur even in situations in which the assumed Ti content suggests otherwise. 2015-02-04T15:39:10Z CFD models of the bronchial airways with dynamic boundaries Ibrahim, Gihad Abdelaziz Abdelghani http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31588 2015-02-05T02:01:59Z 2015-02-04T15:30:14Z Title: CFD models of the bronchial airways with dynamic boundaries Authors: Ibrahim, Gihad Abdelaziz Abdelghani Abstract: Obtaining reliable CFD predictions of the bronchial flow that reflects the actual flow within a living lung requires the development of a deforming airways model, and the imposition of physiological subject-specific boundary conditions. This thesis addresses these two issues by the development of dynamic CFD models of the bronchial airways using a dynamic CT data set covering the breathing cycle of a laboratory animal. A deformation algorithm is proposed that matches the CFD mesh of the subsequent airway geometries generated from the dynamic CT data set. In addition, a novel nonlinear dynamic airway model generated from a pair of CT images is introduced. The proposed non-linear deforming model is capable of successfully capturing the non-linear motion characteristics of the bronchial airways based on the clinical measurements of the lung volume change. Furthermore, a technique to drive physiological subject specific boundary conditions for the terminal surfaces of the CFD models of the bronchial airways is introduced. The proposed technique depends on approximating the lung volume associated to each terminal surface over several time points over the breathing cycle based on the mechanical coupling between the bronchial airways and the vascular tree. The computed dynamic subject-specific boundary conditions were imposed on the terminal surfaces of the deforming airway model and the effect of wall motion on the flow features during tidal breathing is investigated for the first time. The outcome of this thesis is expected to improve the fidelity of the CFD predictions of the bronchial flow compared to the actual flow within a living lung. In addition, the availability of a new non-linear dynamic model of the bronchial airways that requires one pair of CT images as input, which complies with the radiation dosage restrictions for humans will facilitate the development of well-resolved CFD models of the human bronchial airways. 2015-02-04T15:30:14Z The resource nationalism cycle, stabilization clauses and the need for flexibility in concession agreements Ng'ambi, Patrick K. M. S. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31484 2015-01-24T02:01:48Z 2015-01-23T11:21:26Z Title: The resource nationalism cycle, stabilization clauses and the need for flexibility in concession agreements Authors: Ng'ambi, Patrick K. M. S. Abstract: Foreign direct investment in the mining and oil industries is invariably fostered through the signing of concession agreements between the host State and the investor. Such concessions may contain fiscal incentives, to encourage the flow of FDI. However, such concessions are also susceptible to alteration by the host State, once the investment has been sunk. This may include increasing taxes or outright nationalization. To avert this, investors will often insist on the insertion of stabilization clauses. These clauses constitute an undertaking on the part of the host State, that they will not take any administrative or legislative action that would adversely affect the rights of the investor. Such clauses are well recognized by arbitral tribunals and the unilateral abrogation of these clauses, will have pecuniary consequences. Not only will the host State have to pay damnum emergens but also lucrum cessans as part of the compensation package to the investor. Such a position promotes efficiency as per the efficient breach theory, by discouraging the State from terminating concession agreements unless they will make some money, even after compensating the investor for lost future profits. However, this ultimately renders stabilization clauses inflexible because they preclude the host State from pursuing legitimate public functions. Such a position, necessitates some form of contractual flexibility. However, the legitimate expectations of the investor also ought to the protected. The means of achieving this balance is by the inserting renegotiation clauses in the concession agreements. 2015-01-23T11:21:26Z Nitric oxide signalling and the regulation of cardiac repolarisation Caves, Rachel Elizabeth http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31483 2015-01-24T02:01:45Z 2015-01-23T11:15:27Z Title: Nitric oxide signalling and the regulation of cardiac repolarisation Authors: Caves, Rachel Elizabeth Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) signalling has been recently linked with cardiac repolarisation. Studies from isolated heart preparations have demonstrated a protective effect from ventricular fibrillation following vagus nerve stimulation, which is NO- dependent. Genome-wide association studies have linked NO signalling components to arrhythmias. A role for NO signalling has also been described in the diurnal variation of cardiac muscle responses to sympathetic stimulation. The cellular and molecular mechanisms for NO regulation of ventricular repolarisation by cGMP-dependent signalling were investigated using BAY 60-2770, a novel NO/haem-independent soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) activator and compared with the NO donor SNAP. Experiments were performed on guinea pig isolated left ventricular myocytes. Cellular cGMP was selectively quantified by radioimmunoassay. Action potentials and the slow (I[subscript Ks]) and rapid (I[subscript Kr]) delayed rectifier K[superscript +] currents were recorded using the perforated patch-clamp technique. BAY 60-2770 applied under basal conditions, modestly increased cellular cGMP levels and shortened action potential duration (APD), but failed to modulate I[subscript Ks] or I[subscript Kr]. In contrast, SNAP failed to modulate APD despite greater increases in cGMP compared with BAY 60-2770. When phosphodiesterases (PDEs) were inhibited, BAY 60-2770 increased cGMP levels much more, prolonged APD and inhibited I[subscript Ks] (but not I[subscript Kr]). The mechanism for inhibition of I[subscript Ks] did not involve protein kinase G. These results demonstrate that PDE activity suppresses elevations of cGMP in response to sGC activation, and also compartmentalises cGMP-dependent signalling. Thus, PDEs uncouple changes in cGMP levels from ion channels located at the sarcolemma. In addition, APD shortening in response to isoprenaline exhibited diurnal variation, with greater shortening in active compared to resting period myocytes. However, this effect was not blocked by nitric oxide synthase inhibition. In conclusion, NO signalling pathways may be able to regulate cardiac repolarisation through a cGMP-dependent mechanism, but PDEs act to limit these responses in the healthy myocardium. 2015-01-23T11:15:27Z A systems approach in product design of a novel single-pan scanning calorimeter Savas, Sinan http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31482 2015-01-24T02:01:49Z 2015-01-23T11:05:49Z Title: A systems approach in product design of a novel single-pan scanning calorimeter Authors: Savas, Sinan Abstract: Industrial processes, such as casting and welding, are frequently simulated using computer models which require the materials thermophysical properties of alloys as a function of temperature with higher precision. These properties include the heat capacity, the enthalpy, the thermal conductivity the liquid fraction and the solid fraction. The thermophysical data is normally measured using thermal analysis methods; the most common instrument used is the Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). However, accuracy in the DSC measurement is limited by the instrument kinetics because it measures the thermal response of a furnace to a crucible that contains the sample, rather than a direct measurement. In particular, when phase transition occurs in a sample, several problems arise including significant errors in measuring apparent transition temperatures and enthalpy changes of the transition. Continuous efforts are often devoted to designing calorimeters that can measure materials thermophysical properties with a higher accuracy. Recently Dong and Hunt proposed a Single-Pan Scanning Calorimetry (SPSC) which can significantly reduce the measurement error via a novel single-pan concept. In this study, the systems approach has been adopted to examine the product for the SPSC. The systems approach involves the use of appropriate methods in a strategic manner that should lead to better product design. Measuring the transition temperature and enthalpy change of pure aluminium and some commercial aluminium alloys has tested the designed and built calorimeter. The measured results revealed a high accuracy in enthalpy data, excellent reproducibility and high resolution in determining transient temperature. It is concluded that the new instrument is a promising device that can achieve reliable and reproducible materials thermophysical data. 2015-01-23T11:05:49Z Quantification of forces involved in stabbings Nolan, Gary http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31481 2015-01-24T02:01:47Z 2015-01-23T10:57:17Z Title: Quantification of forces involved in stabbings Authors: Nolan, Gary Abstract: Stabbing is the most common way of committing murder in the UK. Sharp implements are used in stabbing attacks with the intent to cause injury and death. The number of deaths that result from stabs is high, partly because major organs and major blood vessels are relatively close to the skin and easily penetrated. Knight in the late 1970s used a spring loaded device to make stab tests into cadavers. He concluded that skin was easily penetrated by sharp knives and that skin offered the most resistance to penetration, with underlying fat and muscle requiring less force to penetrate. Knight concluded that the sharpness of the tip was the most important factor in determining whether a knife penetrated. Various other investigators have since investigated the effect of skin and various skin simulants, concluding that most items of clothing are easily penetrated by a knife, and considered how the geometry of the knife affects it sharpness. This thesis has looked at the effect of clothing on forces required for stabbing and the use of glass bottles as impulsive weapons. It has been found that clothing does influence the force required for stabbing. For the glass bottles it was found that there was no simple method for predicting how sharp a particular bottle would be once it was fractured. A novel dynamometer has been developed to accurately mimic a stabbing event and record the forces generated. The data shows that there are considerable differences in the forces generated by males and females; discernable differences between the dominant and non-dominant hand and that stabbing, even with blunt weapons can cause considerable penetration in most cases. The data also shows that the traditional ranking of mild, moderate and severe used by forensic pathologists lacks meaning in interpreting stabbing events. 2015-01-23T10:57:17Z What are the right skills? An investigation of an organisation's journey towards becoming a learning organisation, and the skills that help leaders to create the conditions and structures characteristic of a learning organisation Givel, Yves Pascal http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31434 2015-01-17T02:01:51Z 2015-01-16T12:53:27Z Title: What are the right skills? An investigation of an organisation's journey towards becoming a learning organisation, and the skills that help leaders to create the conditions and structures characteristic of a learning organisation Authors: Givel, Yves Pascal Abstract: The concepts of organisational learning and the learning organisation have been discussed and debated extensively in the literature, with some writers arguing that many organisations are not relying on continuous learning and development, and react with different strategies to external change, and with others defending the point of view that organisational learning or becoming a learning organisation is key to keeping up with the changes happening in the world, such as globalisation, increased competition and rapid technological advances. This study addresses the above concepts within the context of the hospitality industry, in particular the international hotel industry, and aims to provide some measures and clarity to the question of what the right skills are that help leaders creating the conditions and structures characteristic of a learning organisation, as well as to address the potential gap in the literature around the limited availability of research about the learning organisation and organisational learning in the hospitality industry. The research follows a two-phase case study design, using an organisation in the international hotel industry that had recently introduced a 'designthinking' programme, the vehicle through which learning organisation reforms were introduced into the case study organisation with the stated objective to foster innovation and to differentiate the organisation from its competitors, as a research setting. The findings of this study suggest that organisations in the hospitality industry embarking on this journey of becoming a learning organisation should consider the leadership skills and mind-sets as identified in this research for the design of their leadership models, such as the ability to encourage experimentation, reward and foster failure and demonstrating a commitment to learning. This will assist them in the creation of a learning-supportive culture where employees are involved and participate, are empowered to make their own decisions and have trust in leadership to take risks and foster innovation. The study contributes to foster a better understanding by practitioners of the interaction between leadership skills and organisational learning, thus highlighting the importance of those skills and mind-sets in the creation of a learning organisation, and also reveals some interesting findings around the value and applicability of the learning organisation concept in the hotel industry. 2015-01-16T12:53:27Z X-ray observations of Mercury Lindsay, Simon Thomas http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31433 2015-01-17T02:01:47Z 2015-01-16T12:15:28Z Title: X-ray observations of Mercury Authors: Lindsay, Simon Thomas Abstract: Data from MESSENGER and the GOES solar activity archive are used to deduce properties of Mercury and its X-ray environment in preparation for the forthcoming ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury. Data from MESSENGER's X-ray spectrometer operations at Mercury exhibit background X-ray enhancements which are identified as the results of astrophysical sources crossing the instrument field of view and of electron bombardment of the X-ray spectrometer causing fluorescence within the instrument. These electron enhancements are analysed and mapped, leading to a three-dimensional representation of low-energy electron populations in the Mercury environment, the distributions of which are associated with features of Mercury's magnetosphere, including the sunward magnetopause and magnetic equator. The population is characterised, producing estimates of low-energy electron number densities which are consistent with previous observations. Thus, the X-ray spectrometer functions as a proxy detector for electrons with energies below the threshold of dedicated electron detectors. Variations in seasonal X-ray background flux observed by the MESSENGER X-ray spectrometer are investigated, with a modulation visible with a periodicity of one Mercury year. Several telemetry parameters, including temperature, show corresponding variations. The origin of the variation in background flux is identified as the calculation in spacecraft telemetry relating instrument live time to instrument integration time, which varies on the same yearly period. The GOES solar activity archive is used to generate a model of solar X-ray flux levels, with the intention of providing an estimate of the levels of X-ray flux the BepiColombo mission will encounter, and subsequently the volume and rate of data that the MIXS instrument will produce. This model is used to predict the likelihood of the instrument experiencing data loss events by exceeding the data storage available, and how this likelihood varies with the level of solar flux and the onboard storage space that is allocated to the instrument. 2015-01-16T12:15:28Z The impact of grammatical differences on Mandarin Chinese-English simultaneous interpreting Wang, Miao http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31432 2015-01-17T02:01:45Z 2015-01-16T12:07:45Z Title: The impact of grammatical differences on Mandarin Chinese-English simultaneous interpreting Authors: Wang, Miao Abstract: In this PhD thesis, I investigate the impact of grammatical differences on English-Mandarin Chinese simultaneous interpreting (SI), drawing upon an empirical study of professional and student interpreters. The thesis focuses on the effects of three English grammatical categories including passives, adverbials and noun phrases and of three Mandarin Chinese grammatical categories including coverb phrases, noun phrases and topic-prominent clauses on SI between the two languages. For each category, I compare interpretations of instances in which the grammatical structures are the same across the two languages with interpretations of instances in which the grammatical structures differ across the two languages, focusing on accuracy of content and appropriateness of delivery. The results indicate that grammatical differences have a statistically significant impact on the interpreting performance of both professionals and students, although the impact of expertise is also attested through the consistently better performance of professionals than of students. 2015-01-16T12:07:45Z A global governance approach to post-colonial self-determination Wright, Stuart Christopher http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31429 2015-01-17T02:01:43Z 2015-01-16T11:52:34Z Title: A global governance approach to post-colonial self-determination Authors: Wright, Stuart Christopher Abstract: Major changes to the interpretation and application of the law of self-determination have taken place since the era of decolonisation. Notably, because most non-selfgoverning territories have attained independence, analyses have shifted by looking at the internal application of self-determination. Although competing theories have generally defined internal self-determination as conditions under which human rights, democratic representation and access to the right to development are realised, there is continued uncertainty about how the concept is applied. In this regard, questions emerge about the linkage between internal self-determination and external selfdetermination within the self-determination continuum and particularly, whether territorial minorities can secede based on claims of oppression arising from state failure to satisfy conditions associated with internal self-determination. This thesis proposes that a global governance approach is required for understanding and applying post-colonial self-determination. Unlike other analyses, it is argued that the conditions relative to internal self-determination are case-specific. This means that the application of internal self-determination will be influenced by specific legal and extra-legal considerations affecting the parties in the minority-state relationship. Significantly, the actual conditions of internal self-determination may look different in each case, even though a normative process of evaluation is applied. A global governance approach identifies and formulates obligations based on these legal and extra-legal considerations, and a process for territorial minorities to pursue external selfdetermination if internal self-determination is denied. When considering possible local, regional and international pressures affecting territorial minorities like economic inequalities, human rights abuses, and the adverse effects of globalisation, is important to appreciate that obligations cannot be defined by pre-set criteria, but are derived from multi-party dialogue and the identification of specific rights, roles and responsibilities belonging to territorial minorities, states and the international community. 2015-01-16T11:52:34Z Determining the role of NMDA receptors and ATP receptors in the pathological damage following stroke Trotman, Melissa Elizabeth http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31404 2015-01-09T02:02:01Z 2015-01-08T16:22:27Z Title: Determining the role of NMDA receptors and ATP receptors in the pathological damage following stroke Authors: Trotman, Melissa Elizabeth Abstract: Ischaemic stroke initiates pathological mechanisms that contribute to injury. Despite significant research into this area available clinical treatments are limited, highlighting the need for continued research to identify novel therapeutic targets. Previously, pre-clinical NMDA receptor antagonists have demonstrated neuroprotection, yet they have failed to translate at clinical trial. Both Glutamate and ATP release are key contributors to excitotoxic injury following stroke, therefore it is rational to consider the possibility of multi-pathway targeting as a potential neuroprotective strategy. The aim of this project was to investigate the use of the current clinically available NMDA receptor antagonist, Memantine Hydrochloride, alone and in combination with a ubiquitous P2 receptor antagonist, PPADS, within an in vitro and in vivo model of ischaemia. An in vitro neural-glial co-culture was exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation. Memantine exacerbated cell death at high concentrations, and significantly reduced cell death at low concentrations. P2 receptor inhibition also significantly reduced in vitro cell death. Furthermore, combined low concentration treatment further enhanced the protective effect of both antagonists in vitro. However, this was not shown following treatment in vivo. Sustained mini pump Memantine administration at a therapeutic dose significantly increased infarct volume following middle cerebral artery occlusion in vivo. These results may have important implications for the selection of Memantine doses in Alzheimer's disease patients that may also experience an ischaemic episode. This study provides evidence that low dose combined targeting of glutamatergic and purinergic excitotoxicity produces neuroprotection following in vitro ischaemia, providing a novel therapeutic target for ischaemia research. This supports the concept of combined NMDA and P2 receptor targeting as a potential therapeutic target for stroke. This study also provides evidence that Memantine exhibits a toxic action in vitro and in vivo, questioning the current use of the drug and its potential to exacerbate stroke injury. 2015-01-08T16:22:27Z A New Route for the Fabrication of Nanoparticles in Superfluid Helium Spence, Daniel James http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31403 2015-01-09T02:01:59Z 2015-01-08T16:16:44Z Title: A New Route for the Fabrication of Nanoparticles in Superfluid Helium Authors: Spence, Daniel James Abstract: This project intends to establish a new route for the fabrication of nanoparticles using superfluid helium droplets as the growth medium, which offers a high degree of control over the growth of nanoparticles, allowing tailoring to specific applications. Starting from the characterization of the UHV superfluid helium droplet source, we progressively add more and more dopants to the droplets, leading to the formation of small clusters composed of a few molecules and/or metal atoms, and large nanoparticles composed of >104 atoms. The helium droplet source and small clusters are characterized using mass spectrometry while nanoparticles are investigated by transmission electron microscope imaging. By sequential doping we have obtained binary clusters, unlocking the possibility of producing heterogeneous clusters of any two or more materials. In addition, we have fabricated core-shell nanoparticles, and have provided microscopy images that clearly show core-shell structure for nanoparticles fabricated by this route for the first time. Finally, in this project we have obtained the first direct evidence for the presence of quantized vortices in nanoscale superfluid helium, which are then utilized as templates for the growth of nanowires. This opens up new a landscape of helium nanodroplet technology and new possibilities for nanoscience and nanotechnology. 2015-01-08T16:16:44Z Application of satellite and airborne technologies for the development of probabilistic rainfall thresholds and susceptibility maps for landslides in Papua New Guinea Robbins, Joanne Catherine http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31402 2015-01-09T02:01:57Z 2015-01-08T16:11:30Z Title: Application of satellite and airborne technologies for the development of probabilistic rainfall thresholds and susceptibility maps for landslides in Papua New Guinea Authors: Robbins, Joanne Catherine Abstract: Landslides pose a significant risk to life and infrastructure in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The combination of rugged topography and high seismicity makes PNG highly susceptible to large-volume, earthquake-induced landslides, while the climate encourages widespread rainfall-induced landslides. Of the two triggering mechanisms, rainfall offers the best opportunities for the development of early warning/forecasting systems, as meteorological models continue to improve in skill and resolution. To understand the relationships between rainfall and landslides, studies have conventionally looked to develop landslide-triggering rainfall event thresholds. Such thresholds can form the basis for early warning/forecasting systems. In this thesis, satellite-based precipitation estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) are used to examine characteristics and relationships between rainfall and landslides. These data, in conjunction with Bayesian statistical approaches, were then used to develop landslide probabilities based on rainfall events of varying duration and magnitude. Understanding the landslide triggers is only one aspect of slope instability. Environmental control factors, such as slope or curvature, can enhance or reduce the likelihood of slopes to fail. Therefore, multispectral imagery and high resolution GeoSAR (synthetic aperture radar) digital elevation models have been exploited to verify and map landslide scars in different regions of PNG. These data also support the development of landslide susceptibility maps, providing detailed information on the terrain and structures important for slope instability. Using fuzzy relation-based assessments these data were used to produce landslide susceptibility maps which differentiate areas of low/no susceptibility from those with high susceptibility. Overall, the satellite and airborne techniques have provided the tools to understand landslide occurrence relative to changes in rainfall and susceptibility, which can form the basis of early warning/forecasting models. 2015-01-08T16:11:30Z