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Short Note: Repeated Non-Agonistic Interactions Between A Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) And Sperm Whales (Physeter Macrocephalus) In Azorean Waters, Alexander D.M. Wilson Mar 2013

Short Note: Repeated Non-Agonistic Interactions Between A Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) And Sperm Whales (Physeter Macrocephalus) In Azorean Waters, Alexander D.M. Wilson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Marine Ecosystem Response To The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, M Edwards, G Beaugrand, P Helaouët, J Alheit, S Coombs Feb 2013

Marine Ecosystem Response To The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, M Edwards, G Beaugrand, P Helaouët, J Alheit, S Coombs

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Against the backdrop of warming of the Northern Hemisphere it has recently been acknowledged that North Atlantic temperature changes undergo considerable variability over multidecadal periods. The leading component of natural low-frequency temperature variability has been termed the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Presently, correlative studies on the biological impact of the AMO on marine ecosystems over the duration of a whole AMO cycle (∼60 years) is largely unknown due to the rarity of continuously sustained biological observations at the same time period. To test whether there is multidecadal cyclic behaviour in biological time-series in the North Atlantic we used one of …


Future Seagrass Beds: Can Increased Productivity Lead To Increased Carbon Storage?, Bayden D. Russell, Sean D. Connell, Sven Uthicke, Nancy Muehllehner, Katharina E. Fabricius, Jason M. Hall-Spencer Feb 2013

Future Seagrass Beds: Can Increased Productivity Lead To Increased Carbon Storage?, Bayden D. Russell, Sean D. Connell, Sven Uthicke, Nancy Muehllehner, Katharina E. Fabricius, Jason M. Hall-Spencer

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

While carbon capture and storage (CCS) is increasingly recognised as technologically possible, recent evidence from deep-sea CCS activities suggests that leakage from reservoirs may result in highly CO2 impacted biological communities. In contrast, shallow marine waters have higher primary productivity which may partially mitigate this leakage. We used natural CO2 seeps in shallow marine waters to assess if increased benthic primary productivity could capture and store CO2 leakage in areas targeted for CCS. We found that the productivity of seagrass communities (in situ, using natural CO2 seeps) and two individual species (ex situ, Cymodocea serrulata and Halophila ovalis) increased with …


Global Environmental Changes: Setting Priorities For Latin American Coastal Habitats., Alexander Turra, Aldo Cróquer, Alvar Carranza, Andrés Mansilla, Arsenio J. Areces, Camilo Werlinger, Carlos Martínez-Bayón, Cristina Aparecida Gomes Nassar, Estela Plastino, Evangelina Schwindt, Fabrizio Scarabino, Fungyi Chow, Felix Lopes Figueroa, Flávio Berchez, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Luis A. Soto, Marcos Silveira Buckeridge, Margareth S. Copertino, Mt Széchy, Natalia Pirani Ghilardi-Lopes, Paulo Horta, Ricardo Coutinho, Simonetta Fraschetti, Zelinda Margarida De Andrade Nery Leão Feb 2013

Global Environmental Changes: Setting Priorities For Latin American Coastal Habitats., Alexander Turra, Aldo Cróquer, Alvar Carranza, Andrés Mansilla, Arsenio J. Areces, Camilo Werlinger, Carlos Martínez-Bayón, Cristina Aparecida Gomes Nassar, Estela Plastino, Evangelina Schwindt, Fabrizio Scarabino, Fungyi Chow, Felix Lopes Figueroa, Flávio Berchez, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Luis A. Soto, Marcos Silveira Buckeridge, Margareth S. Copertino, Mt Széchy, Natalia Pirani Ghilardi-Lopes, Paulo Horta, Ricardo Coutinho, Simonetta Fraschetti, Zelinda Margarida De Andrade Nery Leão

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) reports that Global Environmental Changes (GEC) are occurring quicker than at any other time over the last 25 million years and impacting upon marine environments (Bellard et al., 2012). There is overwhelming evidence showing that GEC are affecting both the quality and quantity of the goods and services provided by a wide range of marine ecosystems. In order to discuss regional preparedness for global environmental changes, a workshop was held in Ilhabela, Brazil (22- 26 April 2012) entitled "Evaluating the Sensitivity of Central and South American Benthic Communities to Global Environmental Changes" that …


Geochemical Survey Of Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), A Natural Laboratory For The Study Of Ocean Acidification., F. Boatta, W. D'Alessandro, A. L. Gagliano, M. Liotta, M. Milazzo, R. Rodolfo-Metalpa, J. M. Hall-Spencer, F. Parello Feb 2013

Geochemical Survey Of Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), A Natural Laboratory For The Study Of Ocean Acidification., F. Boatta, W. D'Alessandro, A. L. Gagliano, M. Liotta, M. Milazzo, R. Rodolfo-Metalpa, J. M. Hall-Spencer, F. Parello

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Shallow submarine gas vents in Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), emit around 3.6t CO2 per day providing a natural laboratory for the study of biogeochemical processes related to seabed CO2 leaks and ocean acidification. The main physico-chemical parameters (T, pH and Eh) were measured at more than 70 stations with 40 seawater samples were collected for chemical analyses. The main gas vent area had high concentrations of dissolved hydrothermal gases, low pH and negative redox values all of which returned to normal seawater values at distances of about 400m from the main vents. Much of the bay around the vents …


Frost Hardiness Expression And Characterisation In Wheat At Ear Emergence, M. Al-Issawi, H. Z. Rihan, Z H, N. El-Sarkassy, N, M. P. Fuller, Mp Feb 2013

Frost Hardiness Expression And Characterisation In Wheat At Ear Emergence, M. Al-Issawi, H. Z. Rihan, Z H, N. El-Sarkassy, N, M. P. Fuller, Mp

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Critical Appraisal Of Axitinib In The Treatment Of Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma, J Ansari, Sa Hussain, J Glaholm, A Ansari Feb 2013

Critical Appraisal Of Axitinib In The Treatment Of Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma, J Ansari, Sa Hussain, J Glaholm, A Ansari

Peninsula Medical School

A growing understanding of the biology of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has led to the development and US Food and Drug Administration approval of seven new molecular targeted agents over the past 7 years. Axitinib is a potent, selective, second-generation inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors and the latest to join the armamentarium of drugs available for the treatment of metastatic RCC. Despite recent advances in the development of molecular targeted agents for metastatic RCC, the ideal sequencing of these agents remains unclear.


Analytic And Algebraic Aspects Of Integrability For First Order Partial Differential Equations, Waleed Aziz Jan 2013

Analytic And Algebraic Aspects Of Integrability For First Order Partial Differential Equations, Waleed Aziz

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This work is devoted to investigating the algebraic and analytic integrability of first order polynomial partial differential equations via an understanding of the well-developed area of local and global integrability of polynomial vector fields. In the view of characteristics method, the search of first integrals of the first order partial differential equations P(x,y,z)∂z(x,y) ∂x +Q(x,y,z)∂z(x,y) ∂y = R(x,y,z), (1) is equivalent to the search of first integrals of the system of the ordinary differential equations dx/dt= P(x,y,z), dy/dt= Q(x,y,z), dz/dt= R(x,y,z). (2) The trajectories of (2) will be found by representing these trajectories as the intersection of level surfaces of …


Probiotic Modulation Of Mucosal Immune Responses In An In Vitro Co-Culture Model, Neama Habil Jan 2013

Probiotic Modulation Of Mucosal Immune Responses In An In Vitro Co-Culture Model, Neama Habil

School of Biomedical Sciences Theses

Probiotics confer health benefits through many mechanisms including modulation of the gut immune system. Gut mucosal macrophages play a pivotal role in driving mucosal immune responses. The local environment and macrophage subset determine immune response: tolerance, associated with an M2-like, regulatory macrophage phenotype and inflammatory activation with an M1-like phenotype. The aims of this study were firstly to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of a panel of heat-killed (HK) probiotic bacteria and their secreted proteins (SP) of Bifidobacterium breve (BB), Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LR), L. salivarius (LS), L. plantarum (LP), L. ferrmentum (LF), and L. casei strain Shirota (LcS) on cytokine …


Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Uptake Across The Isolated Perfused Intestine Of Rainbow Trout: Physiological Mechanisms And A Comparison With Caco-2 Cells, Aliaa Rasheed Al-Jubory Jan 2013

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Uptake Across The Isolated Perfused Intestine Of Rainbow Trout: Physiological Mechanisms And A Comparison With Caco-2 Cells, Aliaa Rasheed Al-Jubory

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The wide use of nanoscale materials in food and health care products raises the concern of their possible uptake across the gastrointestinal tract, but very limited data are available on their uptake kinetics, and the potential hazards for humans. In this study, the uptake mechanism of titanium dioxide (TiO2) across the isolated perfused fish intestine and human intestinal Caco-2 cells were evaluated. The in vitro preparation of the whole gut sac and the isolated perfused intestine of rainbow trout were performed using both bulk and nano TiO2 in a concentration of 1 mg l-1 for up to 4 h. The …


The Impact Of Ocean Acidification, Increased Seawater Temperature And A Bacterial Challenge On The Immune Response And Physiology Of The Blue Mussel, Mytilus Edulis., Rob Ellis Jan 2013

The Impact Of Ocean Acidification, Increased Seawater Temperature And A Bacterial Challenge On The Immune Response And Physiology Of The Blue Mussel, Mytilus Edulis., Rob Ellis

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Anthropogenic activities are fundamentally altering the chemistry of the world’s oceans. Many of these modifications could have a significant impact on the health of marine organisms. Yet, despite being proposed as one of the most significant threats that marine ecosystems face, to date very little is known about the impact of anthropogenic climate change, and ocean acidification in particular, on host defence. The aims of this thesis are to investigate the impact of environmental stressors on the invertebrate immune response, providing empirical data on how anthropogenically induced stressors will impact the invertebrate immune system and how this will impact organism …


The Effects Of Elevated Temperature And Pco2 On The Developmental Eco-Physiology Of The European Lobster, Homarus Gammarus (L.), Daniel Peter Small Jan 2013

The Effects Of Elevated Temperature And Pco2 On The Developmental Eco-Physiology Of The European Lobster, Homarus Gammarus (L.), Daniel Peter Small

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The successful completion of the early developmental stages in organisms with complex life cycles is crucial to the persistence of a species both at the local and global scale. Thus changes in the abiotic environment experienced during larval and early benthic development can have profound effects on the development and ultimately dynamics of populations of marine invertebrates. The effects of elevated temperature and pCO2 in line with future predictions of anthropogenic climate change, ocean warming and ocean acidification (OA), on the survivorship and growth during early development of marine invertebrates is beginning to be understood, yet the underlying physiological ontogeny …


Elasmobranch Longline Capture: Ecological Application, Physiological Impacts And Alternative Techniques, Edward James Brooks Jan 2013

Elasmobranch Longline Capture: Ecological Application, Physiological Impacts And Alternative Techniques, Edward James Brooks

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Longline fishing is the most common elasmobranch capture method in the world, both for commercial fishing, and to a lesser extent for scientific surveys. The capture of an animal on a longline initiates a series of physiological responses designed to promote survivorship in the short term, but if unchecked, can cause reduced individual fitness and/or mortality in the long term. Given widespread declines in shark populations, an improved understanding of the physiological costs of longline capture is needed. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the physiological response of sharks to capture and restraint, to assess novel, non-invasive alternatives …


The Ecology, Distribution And Spawning Behaviour Of The Commercially Important Common Cuttlefish (Sepia Officinalis) In The Inshore Waters Of The English Channel, Isobel Bloor Jan 2013

The Ecology, Distribution And Spawning Behaviour Of The Commercially Important Common Cuttlefish (Sepia Officinalis) In The Inshore Waters Of The English Channel, Isobel Bloor

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Over the last 50 years there has been a rapid increase in global landings of cephalopods (octopus, squid and cuttlefish). In European waters, cuttlefish are among the most important commercial cephalopod resources and within the North-East Atlantic, the English Channel supports the largest cuttlefish fishery, with the common cuttlefish, Sepia o cinalis (Linnaeus, 1758), dominating landings. S. o cinalis has a short (2 year) life cycle in the English Channel that is punctuated by seasonal migrations inshore and o shore. Using a combination of di erent métiers including beam trawling, otter trawling and coastal trapping, this shared fisheries resource is …


How Affordances Associated With A Distractor Object Affect Compatibility Effects: A Study With The Computational Model Tropicals., Daniele Caligiore, Anna M. Borghi, Domenico Parisi, Rob Ellis, Angelo Cangelosi, Gianluca Baldassarre Jan 2013

How Affordances Associated With A Distractor Object Affect Compatibility Effects: A Study With The Computational Model Tropicals., Daniele Caligiore, Anna M. Borghi, Domenico Parisi, Rob Ellis, Angelo Cangelosi, Gianluca Baldassarre

School of Psychology

Seeing an object activates both visual and action codes in the brain. Crucial evidence supporting this view is the observation of object to response compatibility effects: perception of an object can facilitate or interfere with the execution of an action (e.g., grasping) even when the viewer has no intention of interacting with the object. TRoPICALS is a computational model that proposes some general principles about the brain mechanisms underlying compatibility effects, in particular the idea that top-down bias from prefrontal cortex, and whether it conflicts or not with the actions afforded by an object, plays a key role in such …


A Multimodal Perspective On The Composition Of Cortical Oscillations, K. C. Ronnqvist, C. J. Mcallister, G. L. Woodhall, I. M. Stanford, S. D. Hall Jan 2013

A Multimodal Perspective On The Composition Of Cortical Oscillations, K. C. Ronnqvist, C. J. Mcallister, G. L. Woodhall, I. M. Stanford, S. D. Hall

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.


Relative Sensitivity Of Two Marine Bivalves For Detection Of Genotoxic And Cytotoxic Effects: A Field Assessment In The Tamar Estuary, South West England., Lorna J. Dallas, Victoria V. Cheung, Andrew S. Fisher, Awadhesh N. Jha Jan 2013

Relative Sensitivity Of Two Marine Bivalves For Detection Of Genotoxic And Cytotoxic Effects: A Field Assessment In The Tamar Estuary, South West England., Lorna J. Dallas, Victoria V. Cheung, Andrew S. Fisher, Awadhesh N. Jha

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The input of anthropogenic contaminants to the aquatic environment is a major concern for scientists, regulators and the public. This is especially relevant in areas such as the Tamar valley in SW England, which has a legacy of contamination from industrial activity in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Following on from previous laboratory validation studies, this study aimed to assess the relationship between genotoxic and cytotoxic responses and heavy metal concentrations in two bivalve species sampled from locations along the Tamar estuary. Adult cockles, Cerastoderma edule, and blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were sampled from five locations in the Tamar and …


Embedding Student Research Publication Opportunities: Strategies For Widening Engagement With Undergraduate Research Journals, H Walkington, A Edwards-Jones, K Gresty Jan 2013

Embedding Student Research Publication Opportunities: Strategies For Widening Engagement With Undergraduate Research Journals, H Walkington, A Edwards-Jones, K Gresty

Professional Services

No abstract provided.


Interactions Of Trace Metals With Plastic Production Pellets In The Marine Environment, Luke A Holmes Jan 2013

Interactions Of Trace Metals With Plastic Production Pellets In The Marine Environment, Luke A Holmes

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This study investigates the interactions between dissolved trace metals and plastic debris under controlled laboratory conditions by using polyethylene pellets as a model plastic particle. Specifically, the study compared virgin pellets sourced from a local moulding plant with those collected from local beaches and subjected to aging, attrition and deposition of extraneous material. Pellets collected from the coastline of Southwest England were mainly polyethylene according to Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), although occasional polypropylene pellets were present. Additionally, FTIR was used to identify the extent of degradation of pellets according to a photo-oxidation index derived from the relative magnitudes of …


An Evaluation Of Particulate Phosphorus Storage In An Agricultural Estuary, Suha Zoozi Jan 2013

An Evaluation Of Particulate Phosphorus Storage In An Agricultural Estuary, Suha Zoozi

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Knowledge of fine sediment delivery (both timing and loading) is fundamental to the assessment of non-point source pollution in estuarine environments. This study comprised three key components that led to the development of a fine sediment and particulate associated phosphorus budget in a typical agricultural estuary. Firstly, to explore catchment inputs, turbidity and flow were monitored continuously upstream of the freshwater/saline interface on the main stem channel of the south Devon River Avon, which drains a medium sized agricultural catchment (area 340 km2), in southwest UK. Thirty-five storms were studied in detail; and the hydrological and suspended sediment load response …


Living With A Changing Climate: Holocene Climate Variability And Socio-Evolutionary Trajectories, Central Turkey, Samantha Lee Allcock Jan 2013

Living With A Changing Climate: Holocene Climate Variability And Socio-Evolutionary Trajectories, Central Turkey, Samantha Lee Allcock

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Collaborative studies between Quaternary scientists and archaeologists increasingly provide new and informative discussions about the nature and timing of cultural change and links with variation in the natural world (particularly climate). In the Eastern Mediterranean region, connecting the human past with palaeoclimate is an important research theme but the complex interactions between them are still poorly understood and past climate records have often been collected from regions distant from the human record. The thesis aims to derive a record of past climatic and environmental changes from lake sediment cores and synthesise this with archaeological data in order to reconstruct human-climate …


Factors That Impact Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Occurrence, Growth, And Toxin Production, Naomi Downes-Tettmar Jan 2013

Factors That Impact Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Occurrence, Growth, And Toxin Production, Naomi Downes-Tettmar

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This work investigates, for the first time, the Pseudo-nitzschia (PN) dynamics in the western English Channel (L4) and the environmental factors impacting on domoic acid (DA) production in these waters. This is combined with laboratory studies examining key environmental factors and the multifactorial impact of multiple macronutrient and micronutrient availability on PN growth and DA production. An LC-MS method was established, optimised, and compared with ELISA for the accurate and reproducible extraction and determination of particulate and dissolved DA. The method was used to measure the seasonal variation in DA at L4 during 2009 and this was compared to PN …


Effects Of The Late Permian Mass Extinction On Chondrichthyan Palaeobiodiversity And Distribution Patterns, Martha Hall Jan 2013

Effects Of The Late Permian Mass Extinction On Chondrichthyan Palaeobiodiversity And Distribution Patterns, Martha Hall

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The Late Permian mass extinction occurring at 252.6 ± 0.2 Ma is the most severe Phanerozoic extinction event and was preceded and followed by additional disturbances. Patterns and processes of extinction and recovery of marine vertebrates have been little studied compared to marine invertebrates. This project focuses on Chondrichthyes, which, together with other marine fish, appeared to have been relatively unaffected by the extinction, while most of their supporting ecosystem collapsed. This study explores the authenticity of extinction among chondrichthyans and possible explanations for the observed patterns, because extinction severities on the taxonomic and ecological levels may be decoupled or …


Suicide In Adults Aged 75 And Over In Cornwall: An Epidemiological And Case Study Analysis, Sarah Buckingham Jan 2013

Suicide In Adults Aged 75 And Over In Cornwall: An Epidemiological And Case Study Analysis, Sarah Buckingham

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

Introduction/Background: Suicide in older people is a historically neglected research area. Local audits had suggested that Cornwall had a higher than average suicide rate, and people aged 75 years and over appeared to be at particularly high risk. Heterogeneity between studies and variations in presenting suicide statistics can make comparison of rates difficult. Aims: The study aimed to explore in depth the epidemiology of suicide in elderly people in Cornwall, to develop an understanding of the risk factors (including sources of stress), suicide methods, locations, and warnings, and consequently to identify potential preventive strategies. Methods: A mixed methods approach was …


A Right To A Child Of One's Own? The Legal Justification In Limiting Access To Assisted Reproductive Treatment, Rebecca O'Connor Jan 2013

A Right To A Child Of One's Own? The Legal Justification In Limiting Access To Assisted Reproductive Treatment, Rebecca O'Connor

The Plymouth Law and Criminal Justice Review

The revolution in IVF treatment in recent years has resulted in the conception of over 4 million babies worldwide prompting stricter legal regulation and control of medical practice. This article explores the demand and availability for IVF, and how international and domestic legislation operates and applies in relation to the notion of 'a right to a child.' It considers whether there is, or should be, an established right to such treatment and the extent to which interferences by the state to prohibit or limit assisted reproductive treatments are legitimately justified.


We Are A Family: Legal Issues For Lesbian And Gay Parented Families In New Zealand, Janette Kelly, Nicola Surtees Jan 2013

We Are A Family: Legal Issues For Lesbian And Gay Parented Families In New Zealand, Janette Kelly, Nicola Surtees

The Plymouth Law and Criminal Justice Review

This article summarises research commissioned by the New Zealand Families Commission to gain a better understanding and awareness of the legal position of gay parented families and donor parents compared to heteronormative families. The research and discussion raise issues about the limits and parameters of legal parenthood rights, responsibilities and liabilities and draws some analogies with English law in this respect.


The Uncertainty Of Article 8 Echr In Relation To The Removal Of Foreign Criminals, Lucy Nash Jan 2013

The Uncertainty Of Article 8 Echr In Relation To The Removal Of Foreign Criminals, Lucy Nash

The Plymouth Law and Criminal Justice Review

This article highlights concerns regarding judicial interpretations and understandings of the application of Article 8 European Convention on Human Rights to control the deportation of foreign criminals from the United Kingdom. It examines the broad scope of the provision arguing that it is somewhat unclear, vague and unpredictable for those seeking to rely on it.


Distant Relations: A Study Of Identity, Ethics And Power In The Relationship Between Britain And The United Kingdom Overseas Territories, Nichola Harmer Jan 2013

Distant Relations: A Study Of Identity, Ethics And Power In The Relationship Between Britain And The United Kingdom Overseas Territories, Nichola Harmer

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This thesis contributes to new understandings of the contemporary relationship between Britain and the fourteen remaining United Kingdom Overseas Territories. By examining the discourse of social and political elites in Britain and in several Overseas Territories it identifies the significance of the role of identity in shaping perceptions and relations between these international actors. The thesis explores how understandings of the Overseas Territories as either part of, external to, or occupying an intermediate position with regard to the British state, shapes power relations and ethical considerations in the relationship between Britain and the territories. The importance of identity in this …


Clinical Reasoning And Causal Attribution In Medical Diagnosis, Linda Adams Jan 2013

Clinical Reasoning And Causal Attribution In Medical Diagnosis, Linda Adams

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Forming a medical diagnosis is a complicated reasoning process undertaken by physicians. Although there has been much research focusing on clinical reasoning approaches, there is limited empirical evidence in relation to causal attribution in medical diagnosis. The research on which this thesis is based explored and examined the social process of medical diagnosis and provides an explanation of the clinical reasoning and causal attribution used by physicians. The research was undertaken in an Emergency Department within an acute hospital, the data were collected using mixed method approach including one to one semi-structured interviews with individual physicians; observation of their medical …


The Adoption Of Disabled Children, Sarah Bunt Jan 2013

The Adoption Of Disabled Children, Sarah Bunt

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The research has set out to examine the motives that contribute towards the decision to adopt a disabled child. Increased knowledge about placing disabled children for adoption is particularly important as they are regarded as the category hardest to place (Adoption Register 2009). Despite the wide gaps in knowledge, the negativity associated with the social construction of disability has been seen as a cause of disabled children’s disadvantage (Cousins 2009). Synthesising a Critical Realist framework with Grounded Theory methods; to examine both the efforts of local authorities to place a disabled child for adoption, as well as the narratives of …