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Latent Variable Generalized Linear Models, Jane Creagh-Osborne Jan 1998

Latent Variable Generalized Linear Models, Jane Creagh-Osborne

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) (McCullagh and Nelder, 1989) provide a unified framework for fixed effect models where response data arise from exponential family distributions. Much recent research has attempted to extend the framework to include random effects in the linear predictors. Different methodologies have been employed to solve different motivating problems, for example Generalized Linear Mixed Models (Clayton, 1994) and Multilevel Models (Goldstein, 1995). A thorough review and classification of this and related material is presented. In Item Response Theory (IRT) subjects are tested using banks of pre-calibrated test items. A useful model is based on the logistic function with …


The Manufacture Of Marine Propellers In Moulded Anisotropic Polymer Composites, Timothy John Searle Jan 1998

The Manufacture Of Marine Propellers In Moulded Anisotropic Polymer Composites, Timothy John Searle

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This thesis examines the feasibility of manufacturing small marine propellers from continuous fibre reinforced polymer composite materials. An appraisal of some current applications of composite materials in the marine industry is given, together with the moves shown towards the use of composites in the area of propeller design. It has been shown that manufacturing propellers in composite materials is theoretically more cost effective than traditional materials. The manufacturing route investigated is Resin Transfer Moulding, where some detailed investigations have highlighted some of the critical processing parameters necessary for successful production of laminates suitable for propellers and other high performance marine …


Investigation Into The Materials And Manufacturing Of A New Thin Film Magnetoresistive Sensor, Yong Qing Ma Jan 1998

Investigation Into The Materials And Manufacturing Of A New Thin Film Magnetoresistive Sensor, Yong Qing Ma

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

There is increasing interest in utilising very thin anisotropic magnetoresistive films (typically in the range of a few nano-metres) to make magnetic sensors which can be made very small and with a high signal-to-noise ratio. In this thesis, a new type of sensor is investigated which has a pair of thin film MR stripes whose magnetisation is switched alternately in opposite directions using bias fields from currents in overlay conductor films. The investigation considers in particular the Barkhausen noise in these sensors and its relationship with factors such as sensor film thickness. The effect of thickness and grain size on …


Enhanced Coding, Clock Recovery And Detection For A Magnetic Credit Card, Daniel Felix Smith Jan 1998

Enhanced Coding, Clock Recovery And Detection For A Magnetic Credit Card, Daniel Felix Smith

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This thesis describes the background, investigation and construction of a system for storing data on the magnetic stripe of a standard three-inch plastic credit in: inch card. Investigation shows that the information storage limit within a 3.375 in by 0.11 in rectangle of the stripe is bounded to about 20 kBytes. Practical issues limit the data storage to around 300 Bytes with a low raw error rate: a four-fold density increase over the standard. Removal of the timing jitter (that is prob-' ably caused by the magnetic medium particle size) would increase the limit to 1500 Bytes with no other …


Reinforcement Learning In Intelligent Control : A Biologically-Inspired Approach To The Relearning Problem, Brendan D'Cruz Jan 1998

Reinforcement Learning In Intelligent Control : A Biologically-Inspired Approach To The Relearning Problem, Brendan D'Cruz

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The increasingly complex demands placed on control systems have resulted in a need for intelligent control, an approach that attempts to meet these demands by emulating the capabilities found in biological systems. The need to exploit existing knowledge is a desirable feature of any intelligent control system, and this leads to the relearning problem. The problem arises when a control system is required to effectively learn new knowledge whilst exploiting still useful knowledge from past experiences. This thesis describes the adaptive critic system using reinforcement learning, a computational framework that can effectively address many of the demands in intelligent control, …


Investigation Into Submicron Track Positioning And Following Technology For Computer Magnetic Disks, Baolin Tan Jan 1998

Investigation Into Submicron Track Positioning And Following Technology For Computer Magnetic Disks, Baolin Tan

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In the recent past some magnetic heads with submicron trackwidth have been developed in order to increase track density of computer magnetic disks, however a servo control system for a submicron trackwidth head has not been investigated. The main objectives of this work are to investigate and develop a new servo pattern recording model, a new position sensor, actuator, servo controller used for submicron track positioning and following on a computer hard disk with ultrahigh track density, to increase its capacity. In this position sensor study, new modes of reading and writing servo information for longitudinal and perpendicular magnetic recording …


Intelligent Pattern Analysis Of The Foetal Electrocardiogram, Nicholas John Outram Jan 1998

Intelligent Pattern Analysis Of The Foetal Electrocardiogram, Nicholas John Outram

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The aim of the project on which this thesis is based is to develop reliable techniques for foetal electrocardiogram (ECG) based monitoring, to reduce incidents of unnecessary medical intervention and foetal injury during labour. World-wide electronic foetal monitoring is based almost entirely on the cardiotocogram (CTG), which is a continuous display of the foetal heart rate (FHR) pattern together with the contraction of the womb. Despite the widespread use of the CTG, there is no significant improvement in foetal outcome. In the UK alone it is estimated that birth related negligence claims cost the health authorities over £400M per-annum. An …


The Priming Of Visual Feature Integration And Illusory Conjunctions, Graham Derek Smith Jan 1998

The Priming Of Visual Feature Integration And Illusory Conjunctions, Graham Derek Smith

School of Psychology Theses

Whether non-spatial previewing can interact with the process of integrating visual features and thereby affect the formation of illusory conjunctions was studied. A series of ten experiments were undertaken that employed methods borrowed from the illusory conjunction and visual previewing paradigms. Participants reported the identities of two briefly presented target objects. Preview stimuli were presented prior to the to-be-reported target stimuli. The preview objects and target objects were colour-filled geometric shapes. The effects of two types of non-spatial previewing were investigated; feature previewing and conjunction previewing. In feature previewing the preview stimuli were congruent or incongruent with one of the …


Performance Of A Boussinesq Model For Shoaling And Breaking Waves : A Comparison With Large Scale Laboratory Data, Francoise Ozanne Jan 1998

Performance Of A Boussinesq Model For Shoaling And Breaking Waves : A Comparison With Large Scale Laboratory Data, Francoise Ozanne

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In this thesis, a nonlinear model predicting hydrodynamics data for waves shoaling and breaking on a beach is reproduced and extensively tested with laboratory data. The model is based on the 1D Boussinesq equations as derived by Madsen et al. (1991) and Madsen and Sorensen (1992), with the free surface elevation and the depth-integrated velocity as variables. It allows slowly varying bathymetries and contains additional high order terms to improve the frequency dispersion for shorter wave periods, and thus also to improve the shoaling properties of the model. Wave breaking is modelled using the concept of a surface roller as …


Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression In Bone Cells., Sw Fox, Jmw Chow Jan 1998

Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression In Bone Cells., Sw Fox, Jmw Chow

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.


Protein Phosphatase Β, A Putative Type‐2a Protein Phosphatase From The Human Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum, J Li, Da Baker Oct 1997

Protein Phosphatase Β, A Putative Type‐2a Protein Phosphatase From The Human Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum, J Li, Da Baker

Peninsula Medical School

Protein phosphatases play a critical role in the regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle and signal transduction. A putative protein serine/threonine phosphatase gene has been isolated from the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The gene has an unusual intron that contains four repeats of 32 nucleotides and displays a high degree of size polymorphism among different strains of P. falciparum. The open reading frame reconstituted by removal of the intron encodes a protein of 466 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of approximately 53.7 kDa. The encoded protein, termed protein phosphatase β (PP-β), is composed of two distinct domains. …


Oxygen-Dependent Metabolism Of Organic Xenobiotics In Marine Fish And Mussel, Laurence David Peters Jan 1997

Oxygen-Dependent Metabolism Of Organic Xenobiotics In Marine Fish And Mussel, Laurence David Peters

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Studies were undertaken to examine the processes of oxygen-dependent organic xenobiotic metabolism in fish and mussel. The antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1 ), catalase (EC 1.11.1.6), selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (SeGPX; EC 1.11.1.9) glutathione reducate (EC 1.6.4.2), DT Diaphorase (quinone oxidoreductase; EC 1.6.99.2), total GPX activity (sum of SeGPX and Se-independent GPX activities) and levels of cytochrome P450 (CYP) were determined in 13 500g supernatants of embryos, 3- day and 11-day post-hatch larvae of turbot Scophthalmus maximus. The early life stages of S. maximus demonstrated the potential to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS), organic peroxides and redox cycling compounds. The …


The Development Of Novel Techniques For Characterisation Of Marine Zooplankton Over Very Large Spatial Scales, Christopher Paul Gallienne Jan 1997

The Development Of Novel Techniques For Characterisation Of Marine Zooplankton Over Very Large Spatial Scales, Christopher Paul Gallienne

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Marine zooplankton play an important role in the transfer of CO2 from the atmosphere/ocean system to deeper waters and the sediments. They also provide food for much of the world's fish stocks and in some areas of the ocean depleted of nutrients they sustain phytoplankton growth by recycling nutrients. They therefore have a profound effect on the carbon cycle and upon life in the oceans. There is a perceived lack of information about global distributions of zooplankton needed to validate ecosystems dynamics models, and the traditional methods of survey are inadequate to provide this information. There is a need to …


Life-Cycle Parameters Of Tisbe Battagliai (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) As Indicators Of Chronic Toxicity, Timothy Dorian Williams Jan 1997

Life-Cycle Parameters Of Tisbe Battagliai (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) As Indicators Of Chronic Toxicity, Timothy Dorian Williams

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

There is growing concern about the fate and biological effects of chemical contaminants in the marine environment. In the United Kingdom, the present ability to detect the potential long-term effects of contaminants is limited by the lack of suitable laboratory methods for measuring chronic toxicity. The harpacticoid copepod Tisbe battagliai was selected as a candidate test organism and a suite of chronic toxicity test methods was developed for measuring the effect of chemical contaminants on individual copepods (postembryonic development, reproduction and life-table analysis) and populations of T. battagliai. The development of chronic test methods proceeded alongside investigations of the influence …


Effects Of Copper On Gill Structure And Physiology In Carcinus Maenas, Dagmar Karina Hebel Jan 1997

Effects Of Copper On Gill Structure And Physiology In Carcinus Maenas, Dagmar Karina Hebel

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The effects of sublethal copper exposure at three levels of biological organisation were studied in the common shore crab Carcinus maenas (L.) (Crustacea, Decapoda). The three levels included the ultrastructure of respiratory and osmoregulatory gill tissues; ventilatory physiology (scaphognathite activity); and tissue metallothionein levels. Respiratory gill epithelia were more sensitive to sublethal copper exposure than osmoregulatory gill tissues. The cellular damage observed included severe epithelial necrosis and vacuolation, hyperplasia and haemocyte infiltration. In the respiratory gills, these changes were first present following exposure to 100 µg Cu Lˉ¹ At 500 µg Cu Lˉ¹, there was complete degeneration of the epithelia. …


Environmental Variables, Including Pollutants, Affecting Living Benthonic Foraminiferida, Catherine Jane Manley Jan 1997

Environmental Variables, Including Pollutants, Affecting Living Benthonic Foraminiferida, Catherine Jane Manley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Studies of living benthonic foraminiferal assemblages carried out by marine biologists are comparatively rare. This study of the changes in foraminiferal assemblages from three subtidal sites near Plymouth, U.K., has been carried out with the intention of determining the importance of various abiotic and biotic variables to the foraminiferal communities studied using statistical correlation. Temperature and salinity at depth and particle size characteristics together with organic content, bacterial abundance and type, and other meiofauna present were assessed monthly with samples taken for foraminiferal content, and for seasonal diatom analysis. Deformed specimens were very rare in the examined samples of natural …


The Innervation And Physiology Of The Cardiac Tissue In Squid, Maria Pernilla Odblom Jan 1997

The Innervation And Physiology Of The Cardiac Tissue In Squid, Maria Pernilla Odblom

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Cephalopods have one of the most sophisticated cardiovascular systems among the invertebrates; they have an enclosed high pressure blood system, characterised by a double circulation, with one main systemic heart and two gill hearts. The cephalopod cardiac tissues are basically myogenic, but there is evidence for both nervous and hormonal regulation of most parts of the cardiovascular system, although the details of the control systems remain unknown. This study investigated the physiology and innervation of the cardiac tissues of the squid Alloteuthis subulata, Loligo forbesii and L vulgaris. Histological staining techniques established that the cardiac organs in squid are innervated …


The Influence Of Vitamin E On The Immune System Of The Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Janet Roper Jan 1997

The Influence Of Vitamin E On The Immune System Of The Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Janet Roper

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

This study took the form of three nutritional trials each examining the effects of vitamin E on various physiological, haematological and immunological functions of the rainbow trout. The preliminary study investigated the effect of feeding three experimental diets with different levels of alpha-tocopherol supplementation (0, 100 and 800 mg kgˉ¹ diet), on growth, health and various factors of the non-specific immune response. Liver alpha-tocopherol levels reflected the dietary intake of the vitamin. The fish fed the diet deficient in alpha-tocopherol showed reduced growth and increased mortality They had pale enlarged livers, their hepatosomatic indices and erythrocyte fragility was significantly higher …


The In-Situ Erosion Of Intertidal Muds, Malcolm Christie Jan 1997

The In-Situ Erosion Of Intertidal Muds, Malcolm Christie

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Intertidal mudflats can experience rapid morphological changes, and are both sources and sinks of fine cohesive sediment within an estuary. Successful environmental management of these regions depends upon in-situ measurements, which help specify the interactions between the active processes and so allow the development of predictive models that the management practices require. The Profiles of Sediment Transport system (POST) has been developed in order to make high frequency measurements of velocity and suspended sediment concentration profiles in very shallow water (i.e. when depth, h < 1.0 m). Electromagnetic current meters and optical sensors were miniaturised to allow measurements within a few centimetres of the sea bed and provide fine scale resolution of vertical profiles. Two in-situ experiments, located in the Severn and Humber estuaries, examined the response of a mudflat to changing environmental factors, and in particular, studied the influence of local waves and tidal currents in very shallow water of depth (h)< 1.0 m. A value of 0.127 Nmˉ²was considered to be representative of the critical erosion shear stress (Tint) at Portishead, while at Skeffling τait was estimated to be about 0.31 Nmˉ². The effects of wave and current action were quantified and expressions were used to describe the relationships between velocity, bed shear stress and concentration. An expression relating near bed concentration to mean velocity (U ) at Skeffling was simply: Concentration (gLˉ¹) = 1.908 U + 0.193 when h< 1.0 m. R² = 0.730 The physical processes causing erosion and deposition across two mudflats have been identified, and the predictive expressions are considered to provide first order approximations for sediment concentrations and transport behaviour, for similar conditions at other North European sites. The results showed that the shallow water periods at the beginning and end of tidal coverage were extremely important in determining the surface character of the mudflat, and any erosion was most marked at these times. Small waves can be crucial to erosion because of their large contribution to the bed shear stresses in shallow water. Ignoring biological and chemical variables (both of which can control of erosion), it is proposed that for typical temperate environmental conditions, some form of mudflat erosion is likely when h< 1.0 m, and either the significant wave height (H2) is greater than 0.25 m, or the near bed velocities exceed 0.2 msˉ¹.


Inductive Reasoning In Persecutory Delusional Thought, Ian Walter Shelley Baker Jan 1997

Inductive Reasoning In Persecutory Delusional Thought, Ian Walter Shelley Baker

School of Psychology Theses

Delusions are considered to be one of the primary symptoms of psychosis but until recently have received little empirical investigation. One approach has been to examine the extent to which deluded individuals demonstrate cognitive biases which are different from those of normal controls in inductive reasoning tasks. In this study two hypothesis testing tasks were used to investigate cognitive biases in a group of people with persecutory delusions compared to a group whose delusions had remitted and a normal control group. Participants completed two tasks consisting of a series of visual discrimination problems in which they had to choose between …


Reflections On Voices, Lynn Mcclelland Jan 1997

Reflections On Voices, Lynn Mcclelland

School of Psychology Theses

Voice hearing (auditory hallucinations) is associated with multiple problems : disturbed behaviour, anxiety, depression, social stigma, and suicide ( Siris 1991 , Barnes et al. 1989, Caldwell & Gottesman 1990). Traditionally voices are seen as a symptom of schizophrenia , psychosis, and mental illness, even though recent estimates of prevalence are 2-4% of the population (Siris 1990, Tien et al. 1993). This view has been challenged by research that has shown that there are many different experiences of voices, positive and negative, and that they are not confined to particular diagnoses or clinical populations (Romme & Escher 1989, Bentall 1990). …


Is Toilet Training As Easy As A B C?, John Doran Jan 1997

Is Toilet Training As Easy As A B C?, John Doran

School of Psychology Theses

Toilet training is often viewed as a fairly straightforward process. This may be why much of the prescriptive literature available today has not been subject empirical investigation. This study followed twenty-six children through toilet training to investigate five factors that are assumed to be associated with a successful outcome to training - child readiness, parental readiness, behavioural style of parents, child temperament and the type of approach parent's use to train their child. Three of these five factors - behavioural style of parent's, child temperament and the approach parent's use to train their child - were found to be associated …


Intrusive Memories, Coping And Outcome In Depression: Towards A Traumatic Processing Model?, Julie Diane Parker Jan 1997

Intrusive Memories, Coping And Outcome In Depression: Towards A Traumatic Processing Model?, Julie Diane Parker

School of Psychology Theses

Recent studies (e.g. Kuyken & Brewin, 1994a) have noted the presence of high levels of disturbing intrusive memories in depressed women. Intrusive memories are best known as a post-traumatic symptom and have received considerable attention from researchers in this field. The presence of a post-traumatic symptom in depression indicates that trauma models might be useful in refining our understanding and treatment of depression. Predictions based on theories of post-traumatic processing were tested in relation to the intrusive memories of a sample of 26 depressed women. The women showed a pattern of intrusive memory experiences which indicate that their memories are …


Organisational Culture And Quality Improvement : A Study, Robert Brown Jan 1997

Organisational Culture And Quality Improvement : A Study, Robert Brown

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The initial direction of this research was in the application of Quality tools and techniques, within the framework of the EFQM Model for Business Excellence. Three quality improvement projects managed by the author (Cost of Quality, BPR and Benchmarking) sought to identify the key elements of a process improvement methodology. However, the completion of the three case studies led the author to review the whole approach of the research. The review led to the need to develop an understanding of the culture and the environment of an organisation as a precursor to implementing quality improvement. The ability of an organisation …


Racism And Racial Categorization., J Blascovich, Na Wyer, La Swart, Jl Kibler Jan 1997

Racism And Racial Categorization., J Blascovich, Na Wyer, La Swart, Jl Kibler

School of Psychology

Social identity theory predicts that perceivers strongly identified with an in-group will maximize the distinction and maintain a clear boundary between their own and other groups by categorizing others' membership accurately. Two experiments tested the prediction that racially prejudiced individuals, who presumably identify highly with their racial in-group, are more motivated to make accurate racial categorizations than nonprejudiced individuals. Results indicated that prejudiced participants not only took longer to categorize race-ambiguous targets (Experiments 1 and 2), but also made more nonverbal vocalizations when presented with them (Experiment 1), suggesting response hesitation. The results support the hypothesis that, compared to nonprejudiced …


The Potentiation Of Actions By Visual Objects, Michael Richard Edwin Tucker Jan 1997

The Potentiation Of Actions By Visual Objects, Michael Richard Edwin Tucker

School of Psychology Theses

This thesis examines the relation between visual objects and the actions they afford. It is proposed that viewing an object results in the potentiation of the actions that can be made towards it. The proposal is consistent with neurophysiological evidence that suggests that no clear divide exists between visual and motor representation in the dorsal visual pathway, a processing stream that neuropsychological evidence strongly implicates in the visual control of actions. The experimental work presented examines motor system involvement in visual representation when no intention to perform a particular action is present. It is argued that the representation of action-relevant …


Community Sleep Clinics Run By Health Visitors -An Evaluation Of Outcome, Gail Mary-Rose Barlow Simcock Jan 1997

Community Sleep Clinics Run By Health Visitors -An Evaluation Of Outcome, Gail Mary-Rose Barlow Simcock

School of Psychology Theses

Sleep problems in babies and young children are extremely prevalent, yet until recently little attention has been paid to them by health professionals. Sleep problems have often been accepted as part of a developmental process, however research has shown that they are often not transitory, and if not treated effectively in the early years, may have long term consequences for later life. Health visitors are in an ideal position to offer treatment at a primary care level, as they are in regular contact with the families of young children. Existing research has shown that the employment of a behavioural approach …


The Development Of On-Line Microwave Digestion Techniques For Environmental Matrices, Kathryn Judith Lamble Jan 1997

The Development Of On-Line Microwave Digestion Techniques For Environmental Matrices, Kathryn Judith Lamble

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

As a consequence of our advancing knowledge of the impact of trace elements in environmental and biological systems there is increasing need for quantitative analytical techniques to accurately, sensitively and rapidly determine a wide range of trace elements in environmental samples. Since their emergence in 1975 microwave digestion techniques have revolutionised conventional approaches to sample digestion and have rapidly gained widespread acceptance as an effective method of sample preparation. This thesis describes how a number of novel on-line microwave digestion techniques have been developed, characterised and applied to the digestion of a range of environmental matrices which have proved time …


Geochemical And Palynological Signals For Palaeoenvironmental Change In South West England, Steven West Jan 1997

Geochemical And Palynological Signals For Palaeoenvironmental Change In South West England, Steven West

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This thesis evaluates the utility of a geochemical technique for the investigation of palaeoenvironmental change in south west England. The method, EDMA (Energy Dispersive X-ray Micro Analysis), is a rapid, non-destructive analysis tool, capable of detecting a large range of geochemical elements. This research examines the most appropriate method of sample preparation for organic soils and peats, and investigates the reliability of results gained from EDMA with respect to conventional bulk geochemical techniques. A detailed study focused on a range of different sedimentary sites in south west England where a variety of palaeoenvironmental changes were thought to occur. Pollen analysis …


Studies Of The Synthesis, Environmental Occurrence And Toxicity Of Unresolved Complex Mixtures (Ucms) Of Hydrocarbons, Emma Jane Wraige Jan 1997

Studies Of The Synthesis, Environmental Occurrence And Toxicity Of Unresolved Complex Mixtures (Ucms) Of Hydrocarbons, Emma Jane Wraige

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The occurrence of unresolved complex mixtures of hydrocarbons (UCMs) in the aliphatic fraction of marine sediments and organisms from areas impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons is well documented and widely accepted as an indication of fossil fuel contamination. In contrast, the presence of an aromatic UCM is often ignored and environmental concentrations of aromatic UCM hydrocarbons in marine biota and sediments are rarely reported. The aims of this study were to establish the quantitative significance of aromatic UCMs in environmental samples and to assess the toxicological significance of both aliphatic and aromatic UCMs. A reproducible method was developed and validated for …