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Principles Of Metadesign : Processes And Levels Of Co-Creation In The New Design Space, Elisa Giaccardi Jan 2003

Principles Of Metadesign : Processes And Levels Of Co-Creation In The New Design Space, Elisa Giaccardi

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In the tight of the material and cultural conditions of the present world and within the context of current design theories, this research aims to provide an understanding of Metadesign as emerging design cutture, and to integrate and advance its conceptual framework and principles through a tra nsdisci pli nary dialogue with the aesthetics and practice of Net Art. By rejecting the notion of Metadesign as an established design approach and practice, the creation of an etymological hypothesis based on the meanings of the prefix "-meta" (behind, together, between) becomes possible. Following this historical and cultural path, the research describes …


An Investigation Of T Cell Dysregulation In B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, Sophie Grace Scrivener Jan 2003

An Investigation Of T Cell Dysregulation In B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, Sophie Grace Scrivener

Other Faculty of Health Theses

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) is characterized by an accumulation of clonal malignant B cells within lymphoid tissue, the bone marrow and the peripheral blood. Whilst abnormalities of these B cells are the essential cause of this disease, the aim of this research project was to investigate whether the T cell compartment may play a role in the aetiology of this disease by evaluating the expression of key surface antigens involved in both activation of and interaction with B cells and other antigen presenting cells of the immune system. There were marked abnormalities in the expression of certain key activation …


A Study Of The Molecular Genetics Of Renal Cell Carcinoma In Man, Martin Ollerenshaw Jan 2003

A Study Of The Molecular Genetics Of Renal Cell Carcinoma In Man, Martin Ollerenshaw

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The aim was to measure the expression levels of hypoxia inducible factor 1-α (HJF-lα), glucose transporter one (GLUT-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoforms 165 and 189 mRNA in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Patients with RCC underwent radical nephrectomy at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. Tumour as well as matched normal tissue from the kidney was harvested, snap frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen, and used to quantitate VEGF 165, VEGF 189, GLUT-1 and HJF-1α mRNA expression using ribonuclease protection assays, and quantified using a Phosphor-imager system. The VEGF 165 isoform was increased in the tumour tissue in comparison …


The Role Of Acute Normovolaemic Haemodilution In Gastro-Intestinal Surgery, Grant Sanders Jan 2003

The Role Of Acute Normovolaemic Haemodilution In Gastro-Intestinal Surgery, Grant Sanders

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Background: Allogeneic transfusion confers a risk to the recipient and the recent introduction of leucocyte depleted blood has increased cost pressure on health resources. Colorectal surgery is a high blood usage field with 43% of all patients in our unit being transfused, over a three year period. Patient perceptions: Despite the risks associated with transfusion, a majority of patients are willing to have an allogeneic transfusion (85%) and think it is safe (89%), which may have implications in the uptake of alternatives available. The effect of bowel preparation Picolax bowel preparation causes significant dehydrating effects which may impair acute normovolaemic …


Benefits Of Fermented Liquid Diets For Sows And Their Piglets, Vlasta Demeckova Jan 2003

Benefits Of Fermented Liquid Diets For Sows And Their Piglets, Vlasta Demeckova

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

A programme of study was undertaken to asses the antimicrobial and potential immunological properties of fermented liquid feed fed to sows in late gestation period. A liquid feed fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum fed to the pregnant sow in late gestation had the potential to beneficially modify the microflora the lactating sows introduces into the environment, which was consequently reflected in beneficial changes in the gut microflora of their litters. In addition, colostrum from sows fed FLF had a significantly greater mitogenic activity on both intestinal ce11s (79326 ± 3069 CPM) and blood lymphocytes (1903 ± 204 CPM) compared with colostrum …


Diagonal And Off-Diagonal Magneto-Impedance In Ferromagnetic Microwires And Thin Films, Dmitriy Makhnovskiy Jan 2003

Diagonal And Off-Diagonal Magneto-Impedance In Ferromagnetic Microwires And Thin Films, Dmitriy Makhnovskiy

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The discovery of the giant magneto-impedance (GMI) effect in 1994 had a strong impact on the development of micro magnetic sensors. In certain soft magnetic materials, such as composites of amorphous thin wires, the magneto-impedance change (MI ratio) is in the range of 50-100% in the MHz frequency band for external magnetic fields of few Oe. Special thin-film structures have been proposed to provide the MI effect in miniature elements. In the present work, the concept of the magneto-impedance matrix has been elaborated, which enables the explanation of variety of MI field characteristics in wires and films from the common …


An Analysis Of The Role Of The Baltic States Ports In The Trans Siberian Railway Market, Anastasia Liliopoulou Jan 2003

An Analysis Of The Role Of The Baltic States Ports In The Trans Siberian Railway Market, Anastasia Liliopoulou

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Almost all the people involved in the shipping industry have come in touch from time to time with what is known as container transit. Some of these people may be working in one way or another in this field, whilst others may be familiar with the meaning and the importance of container transit. This research aims to examine the potential of the Baltic States' ports as transit gateways for the Trans Siberian container market. This work is divided in two parts, the theoretical and the practical. The first part of the study provides a theoretical presentation of the construct under …


Political Dealignment In Britain : The Local Evidence 1959-1979, Paul James Lambe Jan 2003

Political Dealignment In Britain : The Local Evidence 1959-1979, Paul James Lambe

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis challenges the dominant view that municipal elections tell us practically nothing about the preferences and attitudes of the voter to local issues and events, that municipal elections are no more than national referendums. It suggests that the influence of socio-economic environment and political context and indeed structural factors have hitherto been underestimated. It argues that municipal politics and voting behaviour impact upon parliamentary electoral behaviour and outcomes and thereby the politics of place impinge upon the national electoral level. The thesis employs a multi-disciplinary approach that combines the qualitative research methods of the historian and the quantitative statistical …


The Materiality Of Text And Body In Painting And Darkroom Processes: An Investigation Through Practice, Deborah Robinson Jan 2003

The Materiality Of Text And Body In Painting And Darkroom Processes: An Investigation Through Practice, Deborah Robinson

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This research study ennploys practice-based strategies through which material processes might be opened to new meaning in relation to the feminine. The purpose of the written research component is to track the material processes constituting a significant part of the research findings. Beginning with historical research into artistic and critical responses to Helen Frankenthaler's painting, Mountains and Sea, I argue that unacknowledged male desire distorted and consequently marginalised reception of her work. I then work with the painting processes innovated by Frankenthaler and relate these to a range of feminist ideas relating to the corporeal, especially those with origins in …


Britain In Europe : A Discourse-Theoretical Approach, Gavin Moorhead Jan 2003

Britain In Europe : A Discourse-Theoretical Approach, Gavin Moorhead

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Previous research upon European integration has observed that Britain has an I awkward partnership' with the rest of the EU. However, these analyses have not addressed how this awkward relationship reflects a difference in political and governmental discourse between Britain and the other Continental European member states. This thesis will examine this divergence. To this end, it applies the discourse-theoretical approach developed by Ernesto Laclau, Chantal Mouffe, and Slavoj Zi2ek. By applying the discourse-theoretical concept of social antagonism, it will seek to explain why these discourses are different and opposed. Possible solutions to this conflict will then be identified and …


Transmission & The Internet: The Contemporary Response Of A Traditional Musical Community, Griselda Sanderson Jan 2003

Transmission & The Internet: The Contemporary Response Of A Traditional Musical Community, Griselda Sanderson

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis is a study of the performance, interpretation and transmission practices of traditional instrumental musicians in Scotland and Ireland. Extensive original research was undertaken over a period of four years including a survey of current transmission practices amongst traditional musicians from Britain and Ireland. Both preservation and the study of change are vital elements in maintaining a flourishing oral culture. However, my focus is on definition. The study is an attempt to clarify the many contemporary and often conflicting expressions of musical experience that constitute part of the oral tradition in Scotland and Ireland. By examining the work of …


Creating Emotionally Aware Performance Environments: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Inferred And Invisible Data Space, Richard Mark Povall Jan 2003

Creating Emotionally Aware Performance Environments: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Inferred And Invisible Data Space, Richard Mark Povall

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

The practical research undertaken for this thesis - the building of interactive and non-interactive environments for performance - posits a radical recasting of the performing body in physical and digital space. The choreographic and thematic context of the performance work has forced us', as makers, to ask questions about the nature of digital interactivity which in turn feeds the work theoretically, technically and thematically. A computer views (and attempts to interpret) motion information through a video camera, and, by way of a scripting language, converts that information into MIDI' data. As the research has developed, our company has been able …


Not Art: An Action History Of British Underground Cinema, Duncan Reekie Jan 2003

Not Art: An Action History Of British Underground Cinema, Duncan Reekie

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

My thesis is both an oppositional history and a (re)definition of British Underground Cinema culture (1959 - 2(02). The historical significance of Underground Cinema has long been ideologically entangled in a mesh of academic typologies and ultra leftist rhetoric, abducting it from those directly involved. The intention of my work is to return definition to the 'object' of study, to write from within. This process involves viewing the history of modem British culture not as a vague monolithic and hierarchic spectrum but rather as a distinct historical conflict between the repressive legitimate Art culture of the bourgeoisie and the radical …


An Interactive Visualisation System For Engineering Design Using Evolutionary Computing, Ian Stephen James Packham Jan 2003

An Interactive Visualisation System For Engineering Design Using Evolutionary Computing, Ian Stephen James Packham

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This thesis describes a system designed to promote collaboration between the human and computer during engineering design tasks. Evolutionary algorithms (in particular the genetic algorithm) can find good solutions to engineering design problems in a small number of iterations, but a review of the interactive evolutionary computing literature reveals that users would benefit from understanding the design space and having the freedom to direct the search. The main objective of this research is to fulfil a dual requirement: the computer should generate data and analyse the design space to identify high performing regions in terms of the quality and robustness …


Risk Factors Associated With The Mucociliary Apparatus In Intensive Care Patients, Ross James Kay Jan 2003

Risk Factors Associated With The Mucociliary Apparatus In Intensive Care Patients, Ross James Kay

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Initially, there were two principal aims of this investigation. A laboratory based project studying the effect of elevated fraction of inspired oxygen on the ciliary coverage of rat trachea in culture and a clinically based investigation of the ciliary coverage and frequency of ciliary ultrastructural abnormalities in the bronchus of intensive care unit patients. The mucociliary apparatus is the main airway defence mechanism protecting the lungs from respiratory infections. It is vital in intubated patients, as they lack the back up clearance mechanism normally provided by the cough reflex. Ciliary coverage and ultrastructural integrity are two key components of effective …


Problems Facing Maerl Conservation In Brittany, J Grall, Jm Hall-Spencer Jan 2003

Problems Facing Maerl Conservation In Brittany, J Grall, Jm Hall-Spencer

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


An Experimental Study Of The Ecological Impacts Of Hydraulic Bivalve Dredging On Maerl, C Hauton, Jm Hall-Spencer, Pg Moore Jan 2003

An Experimental Study Of The Ecological Impacts Of Hydraulic Bivalve Dredging On Maerl, C Hauton, Jm Hall-Spencer, Pg Moore

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


A Longitudinal Study Of The Effect Of Subcutaneous Estrogen Replacement On Bone In Young Women With Turner's Syndrome, G Khastgir, Jww Studd, Sw Fox, J Jones, J Aghband-Zadeh, Jwm Chow Jan 2003

A Longitudinal Study Of The Effect Of Subcutaneous Estrogen Replacement On Bone In Young Women With Turner's Syndrome, G Khastgir, Jww Studd, Sw Fox, J Jones, J Aghband-Zadeh, Jwm Chow

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.


The Possible Role Of Tgf-Beta-Induced Suppressors Of Cytokine Signaling Expression In Osteoclast/Macrophage Lineage Commitment In Vitro, Sw Fox, Sj Haque, Ac Lovibond, Tj Chambers Jan 2003

The Possible Role Of Tgf-Beta-Induced Suppressors Of Cytokine Signaling Expression In Osteoclast/Macrophage Lineage Commitment In Vitro, Sw Fox, Sj Haque, Ac Lovibond, Tj Chambers

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.


The International Telecommunications Sector : A Financial Investigation Of Post Privatisation Performance, Nasser Mubarak Shafi Al-Shafi Jan 2003

The International Telecommunications Sector : A Financial Investigation Of Post Privatisation Performance, Nasser Mubarak Shafi Al-Shafi

Plymouth Business School Theses

The focus of this thesis is an investigation of the post-privatisation performance of the international telecoms sector. Firstly, the general hypothesis (1) of this thesis has been pursued, which states that the privatised telecoms companies perform differently from their non-privatised (private) counterparts. Several tests were applied; namely, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. The principal finding was that there was no significant difference in performance. Secondly, the next hypothesis (2) states that the financial performance of each company is positively related to that of the other two selected companies. For this purpose, multiple regression tests were performed to investigate any inter-relationships …


Development And Modelling Of A Point Source Integrating Cavity Absorption Meter (Psicam), Christophe Jean-Yves Joel Lerebourg Jan 2003

Development And Modelling Of A Point Source Integrating Cavity Absorption Meter (Psicam), Christophe Jean-Yves Joel Lerebourg

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The absorption coefficient is a fundamental parameter in understanding the underwater light field, for solving the Radiative Tranfer Equation and understanding/interpreting remotely sensed data from the ocean. Measuring the absorption coefficient is particularly complicated in coastal areas where the optical properties of the water body are the result of a complex mixture of dissolved and particulate components, but mainly because of the interfering effect that scattering has upon the measurements. A great variety of in situ instruments and laboratory techniques have been developed to measure total absorption or the absorption by the various fractions that constitute the total absorption. They …


Spatial And Temporal Variation In Diet And Prey Preference Of Nursery-Bound Juvenile Lemon Sharks (Negaprion Brevirostris) At Bimini, Bahamas, Steven Paul Newman Jan 2003

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Diet And Prey Preference Of Nursery-Bound Juvenile Lemon Sharks (Negaprion Brevirostris) At Bimini, Bahamas, Steven Paul Newman

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Prey selection has never been determined in an elasmobranch, primarily because of the large home ranges possessed by adults making accurate quantification of prey in the environment problematic. Juvenile lemon sharks spend their first few years of life within protected nursery grounds, enabling the first quantification of prey selection due to the restricted area that they inhabit. Growth and survival of juvenile lemon sharks strongly influences adult fitness and recruitment, and therefore prey selection may play an important role in the life history of lemon sharks. The selection of a preferred species or size of prey by juvenile lemon sharks …


Environmental Impacts Of Modern Agricultural Technology Diffusion In Bangladesh: An Analysis Of Farmers' Perceptions And Their Determinants, S Rahman Jan 2003

Environmental Impacts Of Modern Agricultural Technology Diffusion In Bangladesh: An Analysis Of Farmers' Perceptions And Their Determinants, S Rahman

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Farmers' perception of the environmental impacts of modern agricultural technology diffusion and factors determining such awareness were examined using survey data from 21 villages in three agro-ecological regions of Bangladesh. Results reveal that farmers are well aware of the adverse environmental impacts of modern agricultural technology, although their awareness remains confined within visible impacts such as soil fertility, fish catches, and health effects. Their perception of intangible impacts such as, toxicity in water and soils is weak. Level and duration of modern agricultural technology adoption directly influence awareness of its adverse effects. Education and extension contacts also play an important …


Stability Of Intravesical Epirubicin Infusion: A Sequential Temperature Study., Gj Sewell, Ae Rigby-Jones, Mj Priston Jan 2003

Stability Of Intravesical Epirubicin Infusion: A Sequential Temperature Study., Gj Sewell, Ae Rigby-Jones, Mj Priston

School of Health Professions

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the stability of epirubicin bladder instillation, prepared from two different epirubicin formulations, under refrigerated storage, transportation and clinical use conditions. METHOD: A sequential study design was used. Epirubicin instillation (1 mg/mL) in polypropylene syringes was sequential incubated for periods of 84 days at 8 degrees C followed by 2 h at 25 degrees C and 1 h at 37 degrees C, the latter two temperatures replicating transport and intravesical conditions, respectively. RESULTS: The instillation was both chemically and physically stable under those incubation conditions. The formulation of epirubicin used to prepare the instillation infusions did not affect …


Identification Of A Second Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen In The Human Malarial Pathogen Plasmodium Falciparum, J-L Li, Av Warren, Ls Cox Dec 2002

Identification Of A Second Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen In The Human Malarial Pathogen Plasmodium Falciparum, J-L Li, Av Warren, Ls Cox

School of Biomedical Sciences

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen seems to exist as a single form in higher eukaryotic cells and plays multiple roles in nucleic acid metabolism. We have identified a second additional proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PfPCNA2) in Plasmodium falciparum on the basis of several lines of evidence. (1) PfPCNA2, consisting of 264 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 30.2kDa, shares only 29% identity and 53% similarity with PfPCNA1 at the amino acid level. (2) Southern blot analyses revealed that the hybridisation pattern of the Pfpcna2 gene is completely different from that of the Pfpcna1 gene. (3) Chromosomal localisation studies …


On Nonexistence Of Magnetic Charge In Pure Yang-Mills Theories, Alex Kovner, Martin J. Lavelle, David Mcmullan Nov 2002

On Nonexistence Of Magnetic Charge In Pure Yang-Mills Theories, Alex Kovner, Martin J. Lavelle, David Mcmullan

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.


Visualisation Of Synchronous Firing In Multi-Dimensional Spike Trains, L Stuart, M Walter, R Borisyuk Oct 2002

Visualisation Of Synchronous Firing In Multi-Dimensional Spike Trains, L Stuart, M Walter, R Borisyuk

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The gravity transform algorithm is used to study the dependencies in firing of multi-dimensional spike trains. The pros and cons of this algorithm are discussed and the necessity for improved representation of output data is demonstrated. Parallel coordinates are introduced to visualise the results of the gravity transform and principal component analysis (PCA) is used to reduce the quantity of data represented whilst minimising loss of information.


The Processing Of Holliday Junctions By Blm And Wrn Helicases Is Regulated By P53, Q Yang, R Zhang, Xw Wang, Ea Spillare, Et Al Aug 2002

The Processing Of Holliday Junctions By Blm And Wrn Helicases Is Regulated By P53, Q Yang, R Zhang, Xw Wang, Ea Spillare, Et Al

School of Biomedical Sciences

BLM, WRN, and p53 are involved in the homologous DNA recombination pathway. The DNA structure-specific helicases, BLM and WRN, unwind Holliday junctions (HJ), an activity that could suppress inappropriate homologous recombination during DNA replication. Here, we show that purified, recombinant p53 binds to BLM and WRN helicases and attenuates their ability to unwind synthetic HJ in vitro. The p53 248W mutant reduces abilities of both to bind HJ and inhibit helicase activities, whereas the p53 273H mutant loses these abilities. Moreover, full-length p53 and a C-terminal polypeptide (residues 373-383) inhibit the BLM and WRN helicase activities, but phosphorylation at Ser(376) …


Saving Europe's Coral Reefs, Jm Hall-Spencer Jun 2002

Saving Europe's Coral Reefs, Jm Hall-Spencer

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Numerical Experiments On The Breaking Of Solitary Internal Waves Over A Slope-Shelf Topography, Vasiliy Vlasenko Jun 2002

Numerical Experiments On The Breaking Of Solitary Internal Waves Over A Slope-Shelf Topography, Vasiliy Vlasenko

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.