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The Role Of Stress And Dietary Micronutrients In Fish Health, James Frederick Reeves Jan 2008

The Role Of Stress And Dietary Micronutrients In Fish Health, James Frederick Reeves

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The overall theme of this thesis has been the study of the effects of well known and potentially novel stressors on fish health and how some of these may be modulated by dietary supplements of micronutrients, using both in vitro and in vivo analysis. In vitro experiments with cultured fish cells (EPC-A1, GFSk-S1) evaluated the potential of niacin and selenium to reduce cytotoxicity and genomic instability (DNA damage) induced by ultraviolet radiation exposure, following assay validation with reference toxins. Whilst cytotoxicity was determined by the neutral red retention (NRR) assay, genomic stability was evaluated by either a standard or modified …

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Demography And Genetic Diversity Of The Mexican Black Iguana Ctenosaura Pectinata, Victor Aguirre-Hlidalgo Jan 2008

Demography And Genetic Diversity Of The Mexican Black Iguana Ctenosaura Pectinata, Victor Aguirre-Hlidalgo

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The hunting of the black iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata) in some regions of Mexico constitutes an acute problem because mature, gravid females arc killed and eaten just before they lay their eggs. This practice thus impacts both the survival of adults and the otherwise imminent recruitment of new individuals to the population. The objective of this project was to compare the demographic behaviour and the genetic variability of two population of the black iguana, one protected and one subject to hunting. This information allowed us to project their population dynamics and investigate the likely population-level consequences of hunting. A clear difference …

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Developmental Sequences In Freshwater Pulmonate Gastropods, Jennifer J. Smirthwaite Jan 2008

Developmental Sequences In Freshwater Pulmonate Gastropods, Jennifer J. Smirthwaite

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The main aims of this thesis were to develop an integrative approach (i.e. one that included physiological as well as traditional morphological events) that allowed the construction of "timelines" of event sequences during development for pulmonate gastropods and to investigate how these sequences varied between (heterochrony) and within (heterokairy) species. Detailed descriptions of development in twelve species from three families (Lymaeidae, Planorbidae and Physidae) highlighted several heterochronies that were confirmed by a phylogenetically explicit analysis (PARSIMOV). These heterochronies involved physiological events (i.e. the first heart beat, appearance of the eye, body flexing, mantle muscle activity, attachment to egg capsule and …

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Phytoplankton As Indicators For Eutrophication In Europe's Regional Seas, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop Jan 2008

Phytoplankton As Indicators For Eutrophication In Europe's Regional Seas, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Eutrophication of marine and coastal waters is a growing concern throughout Europe's regional seas and an historical problem in the Black Sea and regions of the North-East Atlantic, particularly the North Sea. As the base of the marine pelagic food web, phytoplankton are sensitive indicators of environmental change and therefore may be used as indicators of eutrophication for the monitoring, management and mitigation of the effects of nutrient loading on coastal and marine ecosystems. However, due to the interactive effects of climate and eutrophication, it can be difficult to separate the climate-driven response of phytoplankton from changes induced by excess …

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A Framework For Bioprofile Analysis Over Grid, Pin Hu Jan 2008

A Framework For Bioprofile Analysis Over Grid, Pin Hu

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

An important trend in modern medicine is towards individualisation of healthcare to tailor care to the needs of the individual. This makes it possible, for example, to personalise diagnosis and treatment to improve outcome. However, the benefits of this can only be fully realised if healthcare and ICT resources are exploited (e.g. to provide access to relevant data, analysis algorithms, knowledge and expertise). Potentially, grid can play an important role in this by allowing sharing of resources and expertise to improve the quality of care. The integration of grid and the new concept of bioprofile represents a new topic in …

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The Interactive Toxicity Of Benzo(A)Pyrene And Ultraviolet Radiation - An In Vitro Investigation, Zoe Jean Lyle Jan 2008

The Interactive Toxicity Of Benzo(A)Pyrene And Ultraviolet Radiation - An In Vitro Investigation, Zoe Jean Lyle

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The work presented here adopted an in vitro approach with cell types from different species (fish: Epithelioma Papillosum Cyprini (EPCA1), Rainbow Trout Gonad (RTG-2); mammals: Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO-K01), primary human fibroblast cells (84BR)) to elucidate the potential genotoxic effects of the interaction of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) (0.0, 0.1, 1.0 and 3.2 µg mlˉ¹) with ultraviolet radiation (UVA/UVB) (typically 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000 J mˉ²). Initially the experimental techniques and conditions were optimised and validated in the CHO-K1, EPCA1 and RTG-2 cell lines. It was shown that mammalian (CHO-Kl) and …

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How To Mesure And Report Growing Conditions For Experiments In Controlled Environments., Mp Fuller, J Franklin, Ld Incoll Jan 2008

How To Mesure And Report Growing Conditions For Experiments In Controlled Environments., Mp Fuller, J Franklin, Ld Incoll

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Biodiversity And Ecosystem Functioning: Experimental Tests Using Rockpools As A Model System, John N Griffin Jan 2008

Biodiversity And Ecosystem Functioning: Experimental Tests Using Rockpools As A Model System, John N Griffin

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

How anthropogenic changes to species composition and diversity are likely to affect the properties of the ecosystems of which they are an integral part, and by extension the goods and services humans derive from them, is a key question in ecology. Despite over a decade of vigorous empirical research and theoretical developments, there remain many unknowns. Using intertidal rockpools and laboratory marine mesocosrns, I used a variety of approaches to address several of these relatively poorly studied issues. In particular, the work presented here focused on the relative roles of species composition and richness, as well as the extent to …

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Proteomics And Ecotoxicoldgy:.Marine Invertebrates And Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Anne Bjornstad Jan 2008

Proteomics And Ecotoxicoldgy:.Marine Invertebrates And Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Anne Bjornstad

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The key problem faced by environmental scientists is to predictand recognize the damaging effects of chemical pollutants on natural biota. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the potential for proteomics in ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment (ERA), with the hypothesis that proteomic technologies (i.e. ProteinChip technology in combination with SELDI TOF MS) could be a useftil supplement to existing methods of environmental assessment, by providing a sensitive, non-invasive, rapid multi-endpoint assessment of effects of anthropogenic chemicals on organism in vivo. Three invertebrate species, Mytilus edulis, Hyas araneus and Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis was exposed to natural and anthropogenic chemicals in …

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Determinants Of Variation In The Response Of The Aphid Parasitoid Aphidius Ervi To Aphid Sex Pheromones, Nisreen Kutiech Jan 2008

Determinants Of Variation In The Response Of The Aphid Parasitoid Aphidius Ervi To Aphid Sex Pheromones, Nisreen Kutiech

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Variation in parasitoid responses to semiochemicals may be influenced by genetics, phenotypic plasticity and the individual's physiological state. Previous experimental work has indicated a high degree of variability among parasitoid individuals in their response to aphid sex pheromones but no work has been done to investigate the factors behind such variation. Some aspects of this variation were investigated in the aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in the laboratory. Conducting behavioural experiments, the searching behaviour of females was investigated in the presence and the absence of the aphid sex pheromone (4GS,7S,7a/?)-nepetalactone, observing the same individual female parasitoids during two …

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Software Curating : The Politics Of Curating In/As (An) Open System(S), Joasia Krysa Jan 2008

Software Curating : The Politics Of Curating In/As (An) Open System(S), Joasia Krysa

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The thesis examines how Information technologies have changed the practice of curating. It proposes an Interdisciplinary approach that directly links curating (often understood as an activity of artistic programming), computing (the activity of computer programming) and a relatively recent Interest In software art (in which programming Is understood as artistic practice). Although there Is much contemporary critical work and practice that Is described as art-oriented programming or software art, the thesis aims to explore a perceived gap In discussions around software curating. Curators working with online technologies are presented with the challenge of how to respond to new artistic forms …

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Factors Affecting The Production Of Fermented Moist Feed For Chickens And Effects On The Gastrointestinal Environment, Aziwo Tatanja Niba Jan 2008

Factors Affecting The Production Of Fermented Moist Feed For Chickens And Effects On The Gastrointestinal Environment, Aziwo Tatanja Niba

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Fermented feed technology is a biosafe method of feed preparation and fermentation improves feed quality. Factors affecting lactic acid production in fen-nented moist feed for chickens and the influence of fermented feed on the gastrointestinal environment of chickens were investigated. Water quality was observed to affect lactic acid production in fermentation of cereals (maize, sorghum, wheat and barley). The presence of calcium carbonate in the fermentation mixture significantly (P<0.01) reduced lactic acid production from maize, sorghum and wheat. Grain particle size did not significantly affect feed fermentation as biosafe concentrations of lactic acid (>150mmol/L) were obtained from fermentation of coarse grain particle sizes. Differences in polyphenols content of red and white sorghum varieties did not have a significant effect on 24-hour lactic acid production …

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Gomphonema Parvulum (Kutzing) Kutzing: Ecophysiological, Morphometric And Observational Studies Of A Species Complex, Dawn Titiannia Rose Jan 2008

Gomphonema Parvulum (Kutzing) Kutzing: Ecophysiological, Morphometric And Observational Studies Of A Species Complex, Dawn Titiannia Rose

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Perturbations to environmental conditions experienced by any one species, can invoke a physiological and/or behavioural response that may be expressed morphologically and ecologically. This has important implications for diatom taxonomy and the use of diatoms as environmental indicators. The reliable recognition of a taxon with a particular life history, morphology, ecology and physiology may necessitate the adoption of narrower species concepts than those in current floras. This would have the advantage of clarifying the ecological ranges of taxa used in biological monitoring programmes. Gomphonema parvulum has long been a taxonomic problem. The species exhibit considerable is found over a wide …

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Biological And Photo-Physiological Interactions Between Phytoplankton Functional Types; A Five Year Study In The Western English Channel, James Richard Fishwick Jan 2008

Biological And Photo-Physiological Interactions Between Phytoplankton Functional Types; A Five Year Study In The Western English Channel, James Richard Fishwick

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Sampling at the western English Channel observatory dates back approximately 100 years, with a more complete sampling programme since 1988. The data set in this study was collected over a five year period between 2001 and 2005. The variables measured allow for a more complete understanding of the ecosystem, this is the only study to have reported the photo-physiology measurements over such time scales. The western English Channel is situated in a boundary zone between the oceanic waters of the Northern Atlantic and the coastal waters of the English Channel. This study has provided substantial evidence that the phytoplankton functional …

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Motivation And The Placebo Response : Predicting Non-Specific Therapeutic Benefits From The Concordance Of Therapeutic Rituals With High-Level Goals, Ben Whalley Jan 2008

Motivation And The Placebo Response : Predicting Non-Specific Therapeutic Benefits From The Concordance Of Therapeutic Rituals With High-Level Goals, Ben Whalley

School of Psychology Theses

Predicting individual differences in placebo responding has proved hard. Predictions from dispositional or personality variables are unreliable for two reasons: first, because dispositional predictions fail to account for situational variability, and second, because the dimensions identified in popular dispositional models are inter-individual variables, and may not map on to intra-individual structures and processes involved in placebo effects. This thesis describes a new psychological mechanism of placebo responding—motivational concordance—which links placebos with established research on human values and goal-striving. Progress towards goals, particularly goals which are self-actualising, is associated with positive emotional states. Findings presented here support the view that when …

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Perception And Awareness Of Accents In Young Children, C Floccia, F Girard, J Goslin Jan 2008

Perception And Awareness Of Accents In Young Children, C Floccia, F Girard, J Goslin

School of Psychology

This study examines children's metaphonological awareness for accent-related information in connected speech. In the first experiment, 5- to 6-year-old French-speaking children were asked to discriminate between Southern and Northern accented French in a sentence categorization task. It was found that these children were not able to reliably distinguish between these native variations of their own language, but were able to distinguish between their own accent and a strong foreign accent in Experiment 2. These findings were also replicated using a speaker discrimination task in Experiment 3, where children were asked to detect pairs of speakers sharing the same accent amongst …

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Predation By Crabs On Rocky Shores In North-East Atlantic, Ana Catarina Ferreirada Silva Jan 2008

Predation By Crabs On Rocky Shores In North-East Atlantic, Ana Catarina Ferreirada Silva

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Highly mobile predators are known to have an important influence on shallow-water habitats. There is, however, little information about the role of crabs on the ecology of rocky shores. Here I examine the extent and consequences of predation by crabs on shores in the North-East Atlantic. The specific aims of this thesis are to: investigate spatial variation in use of the intertidal by crabs along a horizontal gradient of exposure to wave action and a vertical gradient of tidal elevation; assess their use of the intertidal as a feeding area by examining stomach content composition; examine the extent of connectivity …

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Linking Biotic Activity To Ecosystem Functioning, Jeanette Sanders Jan 2008

Linking Biotic Activity To Ecosystem Functioning, Jeanette Sanders

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The central theme of this thesis was the search for ecologically meaningful ways to quantify the relationships between the biota and ecosystem processes. This thesis investigated whether a "functional group" approach, that characterised the fauna according to similarities in their activities, could be successfully employed to quantifiably link species' performance to important ecosystem processes. Initially the abilities of traditional "trophic" and "bioturbatory" categories to characterise the estuarine macrobenthic fauna and discriminate between estuarine sites were examined. This thesis determined that the perceived inter-site similarity within an estuary varied according to the function being investigated and that the apparent associations between …

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Perceived Barriers To Organizational Creativity: A Cross-Cultural Study Of British And Egyptian Future Marketing Managers, Aa El-Masry, M Mostafa Jan 2008

Perceived Barriers To Organizational Creativity: A Cross-Cultural Study Of British And Egyptian Future Marketing Managers, Aa El-Masry, M Mostafa

Plymouth Business School

Purpose – The overall purpose of this research is to further the understanding of how future marketing managers in Egypt and the UK perceive creativity barriers. The paper also examines the construct validity of the barriers to creativity scale in an Arab non-Western context. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 125 respondents was used to achieve the research purpose. Respondents completed a 17-item instrument designed to assess barriers to creativity in business organizations. Findings – Discriminant analysis results showed that Egyptians differ from British with respect to their attitudes towards organizational creativity barriers. t-test procedure confirmed also that gender and age …

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The Legal Advice Needs Of Gypsies And Travellers In Plymouth., Z James, L Simmonds, R Browning Jan 2008

The Legal Advice Needs Of Gypsies And Travellers In Plymouth., Z James, L Simmonds, R Browning

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

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An Investigation About High School Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs About Teaching Geometry, Brenda Carol Strassfeld Jan 2008

An Investigation About High School Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs About Teaching Geometry, Brenda Carol Strassfeld

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

There continues to exist a dilemma about how, why and when geometry should be taught. The aim of this study was to examine high school mathematics teachers' beliefs about geometry and its teaching with respect to its role in the curriculum, the uses of manipulatives and dynamic geometry software in the classroom, and the role of proofs. In this study belief is taken as subjective knowledge (Furinghetti and Pehkonen, 2002). Data were collected from 520 teachers using questionnaires that included both statements that required responses on a Likert scale and open-ended questions. Also an intervention case study was conducted with …

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The Reciprocating Joule Cycle Engine For Micro Combined Heat And Power Applications, Robert William Allen Jan 2008

The Reciprocating Joule Cycle Engine For Micro Combined Heat And Power Applications, Robert William Allen

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Micro CHP has been identified as a means of reducing the carbon dioxide emissions from household energy consumption. Large scale field trials undertaken in the UK, with systems internal to a single dwelling and based on Stirling engines, were disappointing because of the low thermal efficiencies of such engines. Alternative engines/devices with higher thermal efficiencies are currently being evaluated in Japan but such systems are external to the dwelling. The reciprocating Joule cycle engine is proposed as an engine for a micro CHP system because of its potential to be more thermally efficient than a Stirling engine and at least …

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An Approach To Machine Development Of Musical Ontogeny, Marcelo Gimenes Jan 2008

An Approach To Machine Development Of Musical Ontogeny, Marcelo Gimenes

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This Thesis pursues three main objectives: (i) to use computational modelling to explore how music is perceived, cognitively processed and created by human beings; (ii) to explore interactive musical systems as a method to model and achieve the transmission of musical influence in artificial worlds and between humans and machines; and (iii) to experiment with artificial and alternative developmental musical routes in order to observe the evolution of musical styles. In order to achieve these objectives, this Thesis introduces a new paradigm for the design of computer interactive musical systems called the Ontomemetical Model of Music Evolution - OMME, which …

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Systems Biology Meets Stress Ecology: Linking Molecular And Organismal Stress Responses In Daphnia Magna, L-H Heckmann, Rm Sibly, R Connon, Hl Hooper, Et Al Jan 2008

Systems Biology Meets Stress Ecology: Linking Molecular And Organismal Stress Responses In Daphnia Magna, L-H Heckmann, Rm Sibly, R Connon, Hl Hooper, Et Al

School of Biomedical Sciences

BACKGROUND: Ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been designed to interrupt eicosanoid metabolism in mammals, but little is known of how they affect nontarget organisms. Here we report a systems biology study that simultaneously describes the transcriptomic and phenotypic stress responses of the model crustacean Daphnia magna after exposure to ibuprofen. RESULTS: Our findings reveal intriguing similarities in the mode of action of ibuprofen between vertebrates and invertebrates, and they suggest that ibuprofen has a targeted impact on reproduction at the molecular, organismal, and population level in daphnids. Microarray expression and temporal real-time quantitative PCR profiles of key genes …

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Meeting Report: Risk Assessment Of Tamiflu Use Under Pandemic Conditions, Ac Singer, Bm Howard, Ac Johnson, Cj Knowles, S Jackman, C Accinelli, Ab Caracciolo, I Bernard, S Bird, T Boucard, A Boxall, Jv Brian, E Cartmell, C Chubb, J Churchley, S Costigan, M Crane, Mj Dempsey, B Dorrington, B Ellor, J Fick, J Holmes, T Hutchinson, F Karcher, Sl Kelleher, P Marsden, G Noone, Ma Nunn, J Oxford, T Rachwal, N Roberts, M Roberts, Ml Saccà, M Sanders, Jo Straub, A Terry, D Thomas, S Toovey, R Townsend, N Voulvoulis, C Watts Jan 2008

Meeting Report: Risk Assessment Of Tamiflu Use Under Pandemic Conditions, Ac Singer, Bm Howard, Ac Johnson, Cj Knowles, S Jackman, C Accinelli, Ab Caracciolo, I Bernard, S Bird, T Boucard, A Boxall, Jv Brian, E Cartmell, C Chubb, J Churchley, S Costigan, M Crane, Mj Dempsey, B Dorrington, B Ellor, J Fick, J Holmes, T Hutchinson, F Karcher, Sl Kelleher, P Marsden, G Noone, Ma Nunn, J Oxford, T Rachwal, N Roberts, M Roberts, Ml Saccà, M Sanders, Jo Straub, A Terry, D Thomas, S Toovey, R Townsend, N Voulvoulis, C Watts

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Systems Biology Meets Stress Ecology:: Linking Molecular And Organismal Stress Responses In Daphnia Magna, L-H Heckmann, Rm Sibly, R Connon, Hl Hooper, Th Hutchinson, Sj Maund, Cj Hill, A Bouetard, A Callaghan Jan 2008

Systems Biology Meets Stress Ecology:: Linking Molecular And Organismal Stress Responses In Daphnia Magna, L-H Heckmann, Rm Sibly, R Connon, Hl Hooper, Th Hutchinson, Sj Maund, Cj Hill, A Bouetard, A Callaghan

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Measuring The Contribution And Complexity Of Nurse And Physiotherapy Consultants: A Feasibility Study, J Richardson, R Ainsworth, Aj Humphreys, E Stenhouse, M Watkins Jan 2008

Measuring The Contribution And Complexity Of Nurse And Physiotherapy Consultants: A Feasibility Study, J Richardson, R Ainsworth, Aj Humphreys, E Stenhouse, M Watkins

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Advanced practice roles in nursing and other health professions have become integral to a range of healthcare services world-wide providing experienced practitioners with the opportunity to extend their roles and influence decision making whilst maintaining patient contact. However, there has been limited research to evaluate the impact on health services of these advanced practice roles.The aim of this feasibility study was to analyse Nurse and Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Consultant activity in the four functions of the role (education, expert practice, leadership, research). A structured diary assessed the activity of five Consultant Nurses and one Consultant Physiotherapist over a one …

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How To Measure And Report Growing Conditions For Experiments In Controlled Environments., M. P. Fuller, J. Franklin, L. D. Incoll Jan 2008

How To Measure And Report Growing Conditions For Experiments In Controlled Environments., M. P. Fuller, J. Franklin, L. D. Incoll

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Averting Catastrophic Climate Change: Confronting Wealth, V Hurth, P Wells Dec 2007

Averting Catastrophic Climate Change: Confronting Wealth, V Hurth, P Wells

Plymouth Business School

In the context of potential catastrophic climate change, it is vital that fundamental drivers of carbon dioxide emissions are pinpointed and addressed. One of the key drivers of these emissions is shown to be increased economic wealth. This paper highlights that links between wealth and carbon dioxide must be addressed, and that although highly debated, the links are not well considered, especially at the detailed level of what drives consumption preferences of the global wealthy. In the context of increasing wealth concentration and poverty gaps, this subject is central to issues of social justice as well as environmental integrity. © …

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Pq Evaluation Project Stage 1, H Donnellan, G Jack, J Grose, A Gilbert Dec 2007

Pq Evaluation Project Stage 1, H Donnellan, G Jack, J Grose, A Gilbert

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

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