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The Role Of Ubiquitin Ligases Nedd4-1 And Nedd4-2 In The Brain And Their Crosstalk With Alpha-Synuclein And Other Dementia-Related Proteins, James Conway Jan 2024

The Role Of Ubiquitin Ligases Nedd4-1 And Nedd4-2 In The Brain And Their Crosstalk With Alpha-Synuclein And Other Dementia-Related Proteins, James Conway

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) are a progressive and currently incurable neurodegenerative disease and the most common movement disorder. α-synuclein protein is thought to be the main aetiological agent of PD and DLB, particularly when levels are increased in substantia nigra (SN) dopaminergic neurons, causing cell death. Current PD and DLB treatments are symptomatic and do not target the disease at its source or prevent its progression.In order to develop protective treatments for PD and DLB, it is important to first understand its pathophysiology. Using mice which are genetically altered to exhibit PD-and DLB-like traits at …


An Assessment Of The Environmental Impact And Economic Viability Of A Uk Based Scallop Farm, David Cox Jan 2024

An Assessment Of The Environmental Impact And Economic Viability Of A Uk Based Scallop Farm, David Cox

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The UK scallop capture fishery’s use of dredging is, at times, both environmentally damaging and economically unsustainable. With demand for seafood continuing to rise, scallop farming may be able to offer an alternative source of supply that addresses increasing consumer concerns over sustainable food production and traceability. This study is based the research conducted on the UK’s first fully integrated scallop farm and hatchery in Torbay Devon. The research focuses on two separate aspects of the scallop farm: its ecological impact on the epibenthic and pelagic organisms at the site and surrounding areas and an assessment of the economic viability …


Population Genetics Of Green (Chelonia Mydas) And Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys Imbricata) In Grenada, West Indies, Naomi Westlake Jan 2024

Population Genetics Of Green (Chelonia Mydas) And Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys Imbricata) In Grenada, West Indies, Naomi Westlake

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Sea turtle populations within Grenada are believed to be in decline, consistent with worldwide trends. Conservation strategies for green and hawksbill turtles in Grenada are currently limited by a lack of detailed knowledge of the genetic make-up, life history and migration patterns of the local aggregates of these species. Genetic characterisation provides a means for inferring population diversity and origins for these aggregates and to assess potential impacts from regional and worldwide management strategies. Additionally, chelonid alphaherpesvirus-5 (ChHV5) and ChHV5-associated fibropapillomatosis (FP) have recently been reported within Grenada’s green turtle population, but the epidemiology of the disease in Grenada remains …


Investigating The Movement And Foraging Ecology Of Reef Manta Rays (Mobula Alfredi) In The Chagos Archipelago, Joanna Harris Jan 2024

Investigating The Movement And Foraging Ecology Of Reef Manta Rays (Mobula Alfredi) In The Chagos Archipelago, Joanna Harris

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) are large zooplanktivorous elasmobranchs of the family Mobulidae. The species is dispersed throughout the Indian and West Pacific Oceans in small, isolated populations that tend to have a limited home range. Individuals within a population regularly visit specific locations to routinely engage in activities such as feeding, where they often exhibit aggregation behaviour. The species face a multitude of anthropogenic threats throughout their range, the most significant of which are target and bycatch fisheries from which they can be most at risk at aggregation sites. Due to their unsustainable depletion, particularly in the Indian Ocean, …


Experiences Of Group Therapies In Community Settings From The Perspective Of People Given A Diagnosis Of “Personality Disorder” – A Systematic Literature Review And Thematic Synthesis, Roxanne Denny Jan 2024

Experiences Of Group Therapies In Community Settings From The Perspective Of People Given A Diagnosis Of “Personality Disorder” – A Systematic Literature Review And Thematic Synthesis, Roxanne Denny

School of Psychology Theses

There is increasing research into group therapies and group treatments are widely offered in services for people with a diagnosis of personality disorder. This review aims to explore service user experiences of psychological treatments offered in groups for the diagnosis of personality disorder in community settings. A systematic search of six databases yielded 16 qualitative research papers for inclusion in this review. Studies were critically appraised and analysed using thematic synthesis. The thematic synthesis identified three major themes: “expectations and reality of groups”, “barriers and facilitators” and “impact of groups”. Recommendations inform the establishment and facilitation of group treatments.


Association Of Life History Strategy And Mate Retention Behavior In Men And Women, Sepide Pazhouhi, Ray Garza, Farid Pazhoohi Jan 2024

Association Of Life History Strategy And Mate Retention Behavior In Men And Women, Sepide Pazhouhi, Ray Garza, Farid Pazhoohi

School of Psychology

From an evolutionary perspective, both men and women use a variety of guarding tactics to keep their romantic partners in the relationship. For men, these benefits increase paternity certainty, while for women, they guarantee male investment in the woman and her children. The current research aimed to explore the association between life history strategy (LHS) and mate retention behaviors in men and women from Iran and the UK. We hypothesized that individuals with a slower life history strategy will show a positive association with benefit-provisioning mate retention (e.g., gift-giving, affection), and a negative association with cost-inflicting mate retention (e.g., emotional …


Tackling Loneliness Together: A Three-Tier Social Identity Framework For Social Prescribing, S. Alexander Haslam, Catherine Haslam, Tegan Cruwys, Leah S. Sharman, Shaun Hayes, Zoe Walter, Jolanda Jetten, Niklas K. Steffens, Magnolia Cardona, Crystal J. La Rue, Niamh Mcnamara, Blerina Këllezi, Juliet R.H. Wakefield, Clifford Stevenson, Mhairi Bowe, Peter Mcevoy, Alysia M. Robertson, Mark Tarrant, Genevieve Dingle, Tarli Young Jan 2024

Tackling Loneliness Together: A Three-Tier Social Identity Framework For Social Prescribing, S. Alexander Haslam, Catherine Haslam, Tegan Cruwys, Leah S. Sharman, Shaun Hayes, Zoe Walter, Jolanda Jetten, Niklas K. Steffens, Magnolia Cardona, Crystal J. La Rue, Niamh Mcnamara, Blerina Këllezi, Juliet R.H. Wakefield, Clifford Stevenson, Mhairi Bowe, Peter Mcevoy, Alysia M. Robertson, Mark Tarrant, Genevieve Dingle, Tarli Young

School of Psychology

In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the threats to health posed by loneliness. One of the main strategies that has been recommended to address this is social prescribing (SP). This typically involves general practitioners (GPs) and other health practitioners directing clients who are experiencing loneliness and related conditions to take part in social activities—typically in recreational and community contexts. However, evidence for the effectiveness of SP is mixed—leading some to suggest that enthusiasm for it might be misplaced. In this review, we argue that a core problem with most existing approaches to SP is that they lack …


Conservatism Negatively Predicts Creativity: A Study Across 28 Countries, Agata Groyecka-Bernard, Piotr Sorokowski, Maciej Karwowski, S. Craig Roberts, Toivo Aavik, Grace Akello, Charlotte Alm, Naumana Amjad, Kelly Asao, Chiemezie S. Atama, Derya Atamtürk Duyar, Richard Ayebare, Carlota Batres, Aicha Bensafia, Anna Bertoni, Boris Bizumic, Mahmoud Boussena, David M. Buss, Marina Butovskaya, Seda Can, Antonin Carrier, Hakan Cetinkaya, Daniel Conroy-Beam, Marco Antonio Correa Varella, Ilona Croy, Rosa María Cueto, Marta Czerwonka, Marcin Czub, Silvia Donato, Daria Dronova Jan 2024

Conservatism Negatively Predicts Creativity: A Study Across 28 Countries, Agata Groyecka-Bernard, Piotr Sorokowski, Maciej Karwowski, S. Craig Roberts, Toivo Aavik, Grace Akello, Charlotte Alm, Naumana Amjad, Kelly Asao, Chiemezie S. Atama, Derya Atamtürk Duyar, Richard Ayebare, Carlota Batres, Aicha Bensafia, Anna Bertoni, Boris Bizumic, Mahmoud Boussena, David M. Buss, Marina Butovskaya, Seda Can, Antonin Carrier, Hakan Cetinkaya, Daniel Conroy-Beam, Marco Antonio Correa Varella, Ilona Croy, Rosa María Cueto, Marta Czerwonka, Marcin Czub, Silvia Donato, Daria Dronova

School of Psychology

Previous studies have found a negative relationship between creativity and conservatism. However, as these studies were mostly conducted on samples of homogeneous nationality, the generalizability of the effect across different cultures is unknown. We addressed this gap by conducting a study in 28 countries. Based on the notion that attitudes can be shaped by both environmental and ecological factors, we hypothesized that parasite stress can also affect creativity and thus, its potential effects should be controlled for. The results of multilevel analyses showed that, as expected, conservatism was a significant predictor of lower creativity, adjusting for economic status, age, sex, …


Responding To Reading Difficulties: An Exploration From Different Professional Perspectives, Ezgi Unlu Jan 2024

Responding To Reading Difficulties: An Exploration From Different Professional Perspectives, Ezgi Unlu

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

The study was designed to explore educators’ perspectives on reading difficulties and their choice of teaching strategies for students with reading difficulties. The study aimed to understand how educators form their professional perspectives on reading difficulties, how this relates to their understanding of the concept of ‘dyslexia’ and how this informs their teaching methods. Furthermore, the study has explored the extent to which these chosen teaching strategies are inclusive and meet the needs of all students. A qualitative case study was used to generate data to address the research questions and achieve the aims of this study. Data were generated …


Selective Fast Fiber Damage After Leg Press Exercise Leading To Failure: A Pole Vaulter Case Report, Gerard Carmona, Gerard Moras, Raúl Bescós, Adrián García-Fresneda, Joan A. Cadefau Jan 2024

Selective Fast Fiber Damage After Leg Press Exercise Leading To Failure: A Pole Vaulter Case Report, Gerard Carmona, Gerard Moras, Raúl Bescós, Adrián García-Fresneda, Joan A. Cadefau

School of Health Professions

The aim of this study was to investigate, in a trained pole vaulter (PV) and in an endurance-trained physical education student (PE), the effect of a leg press exercise leading to failure (LPF) on changes in serum activity of muscle enzymes and serum concentration of fast (FM) and slow (SM) myosin isoforms, while simultaneously examining mechanical output components as indicators of performance and fatigue developed throughout exercise. A case report study design based on an observational comparison of response between two dichotomous participants, PV and PE, was used. Differences between the participants’ exercise outputs were examined by unpaired t-test or …


Synergy Solutions For Climate And Sdg Action: Bridging The Ambition Gap For The Future We Want, Souran Chatterjee Jan 2024

Synergy Solutions For Climate And Sdg Action: Bridging The Ambition Gap For The Future We Want, Souran Chatterjee

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.


Ice Algae As Supplementary Food Rather Than Major Energy Source For The Barents Sea Zooplankton Community, Doreen Kohlbach, Haakon Hop, Anette Wold, Katrin Schmidt, Lukas Smik, Simon T. Belt, Matthias Woll, Martin Graeve, Lucie Goraguer, Øyvind Foss, Philipp Assmy Jan 2024

Ice Algae As Supplementary Food Rather Than Major Energy Source For The Barents Sea Zooplankton Community, Doreen Kohlbach, Haakon Hop, Anette Wold, Katrin Schmidt, Lukas Smik, Simon T. Belt, Matthias Woll, Martin Graeve, Lucie Goraguer, Øyvind Foss, Philipp Assmy

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Barents Sea is a hotspot for environmental change due to global warming. These changes impact the structure and functioning of the marine ecosystem year-round, and it is therefore important to gain knowledge on trophic relationships and the energy flow from primary producers, i.e., ice algae (sympagic algae) and phytoplankton (pelagic algae) to consumers over the entire seasonal cycle. By using different lipid components as trophic markers, we provide seasonal coverage of the carbon and food-source composition of five of the most abundant and ecologically important zooplankton taxa inhabiting the Barents Sea: copepods, krill, amphipods, pteropods and chaetognaths. Based on …


A Global Systematic Review Of The Cultural Ecosystem Services Provided By Wetlands, Kevin A. Wood, Lucy L. Jupe, Francisca C. Aguiar, Alexandra M. Collins, Scott J. Davidson, Will Freeman, Liam Kirkpatrick, Tatiana Lobato-De Magalhães, Emma Mckinley, Ana Nuno, Jordi F. Pagès, Antonella Petruzzella, Dave Pritchard, Jonathan P. Reeves, Sidinei Magela Thomaz, Sara A. Thornton, Hiromi Yamashita, Julia L. Newth Jan 2024

A Global Systematic Review Of The Cultural Ecosystem Services Provided By Wetlands, Kevin A. Wood, Lucy L. Jupe, Francisca C. Aguiar, Alexandra M. Collins, Scott J. Davidson, Will Freeman, Liam Kirkpatrick, Tatiana Lobato-De Magalhães, Emma Mckinley, Ana Nuno, Jordi F. Pagès, Antonella Petruzzella, Dave Pritchard, Jonathan P. Reeves, Sidinei Magela Thomaz, Sara A. Thornton, Hiromi Yamashita, Julia L. Newth

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Wetlands make a disproportionately large contribution to global biodiversity and provide critical ecosystem services for humanity. Yet, our understanding of the cultural ecosystem services (CES) provided by wetlands remains limited, with benefits often only recognised at local scales. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a global systematic review of wetland CES. Our synthesis addressed key questions related to the provision of CES by different types of wetlands, their economic value, their co-occurrence and associations with other ecosystem services, threats to the provision of CES by wetlands, as well as the availability and use of CES information. Based on 861 …


Contrasting Species-Specific Stress Response To Environmental Ph Determines The Fate Of Coccolithophores In Future Oceans, Nishant Chauhan, Craig J. Dedman, Chloë Baldreki, Adam A. Dowle, Tony R. Larson, Rosalind E.M. Rickaby Jan 2024

Contrasting Species-Specific Stress Response To Environmental Ph Determines The Fate Of Coccolithophores In Future Oceans, Nishant Chauhan, Craig J. Dedman, Chloë Baldreki, Adam A. Dowle, Tony R. Larson, Rosalind E.M. Rickaby

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Molecular mechanisms driving species-specific environmental sensitivity in coccolithophores are unclear but crucial in understanding species selection and adaptation to environmental change. This study examined proteomic and physiological changes in three species under varying pH conditions. We showed that changing pH drives intracellular oxidative stress and changes membrane potential. Upregulation in antioxidant, DNA repair and cell cycle-related protein-groups indicated oxidative damage across high (pH 8.8) and low pH (pH 7.6) compared to control pH (pH 8.2), and correlated with reduced growth rates. Upregulation of mitochondrial proteins suggested higher metabolite demand for restoring cellular homeostasis under pH-induced stress. Photosynthetic rates generally correlated …


Drone Imagery And Deep Learning For Mapping The Density Of Wild Pacific Oysters To Manage Their Expansion Into Protected Areas, Aser Mata, David Moffat, Sílvia Almeida, Marko Radeta, William Jay, Nigel Mortimer, Katie Awty-Carroll, Oliver Thomas, Vanda Brotas, Steve Groom Jan 2024

Drone Imagery And Deep Learning For Mapping The Density Of Wild Pacific Oysters To Manage Their Expansion Into Protected Areas, Aser Mata, David Moffat, Sílvia Almeida, Marko Radeta, William Jay, Nigel Mortimer, Katie Awty-Carroll, Oliver Thomas, Vanda Brotas, Steve Groom

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The recent expansion of wild Pacific oysters already had negative repercussions on sites in Europe and has raised further concerns over their potential harmful impact on the balance of biomes within protected areas. Monitoring their colonisation, especially at early stages, has become an urgent ecological issue. Current efforts to monitor wild Pacific oysters rely on “walk-over” surveys that are highly laborious and often limited to specific areas of easy access. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), commonly known as drones, can provide an effective tool for surveying complex terrains and detect Pacific oysters. This study provides a novel workflow for automated …


Optimisation Of Classification Methods To Differentiate Morphologically-Similar Pollen Grains From Ft-Ir Spectra, Laura Scoble, Simon J. Ussher, Mark F. Fitzsimons, Lauren Ansell, Matthew Craven, Ralph M. Fyfe Jan 2024

Optimisation Of Classification Methods To Differentiate Morphologically-Similar Pollen Grains From Ft-Ir Spectra, Laura Scoble, Simon J. Ussher, Mark F. Fitzsimons, Lauren Ansell, Matthew Craven, Ralph M. Fyfe

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

A growing body of research is demonstrating the potential of Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to identify and differentiate morphologically similar pollen taxa. The Poaceae (grass) family is a large and complex with morphologically similar pollen grains. It is not possible to use traditional light microscopy to differentiate Poaceae species, or genus, based on pollen morphological characteristics. This research presents a study of five species from the Poaceae family found across a wide variety of different moorland vegetation communities, to test the extent to which FT-IR microspectroscopy can be used to separate and identify these species and develop statistical approaches for …


Production And Preservation Of Organic Carbon In Sub-Seafloor Tephra Layers, Jack Longman, Hayley R. Manners, Thomas M. Gernon, James Mcmanus, Martin R. Palmer, Steven J. Rowland, Paul A. Sutton Jan 2024

Production And Preservation Of Organic Carbon In Sub-Seafloor Tephra Layers, Jack Longman, Hayley R. Manners, Thomas M. Gernon, James Mcmanus, Martin R. Palmer, Steven J. Rowland, Paul A. Sutton

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The deposition of volcanic ash into the ocean initiates a range of chemical and biological reactions. During diagenesis, these reactions may enhance the preservation of organic carbon (OC) in marine sediments, which ultimately promotes CO2 sequestration from the ocean-atmosphere system. However, this interpretation is reliant on a small number of studies that make a link between tephra and OC burial. Here, we compare organic and inorganic geochemical data from tephra-bearing marine sediments from three sites that differ widely in their location, age, and composition. We show that OC is buried in, and proximal to, tephra layers, in proportions higher than …


Modelling The Spatial Risk Pattern Of Dementia In Denmark Using Residential Location Data: A Registry-Based National Cohort, Prince M. Amegbor, Clive E. Sabel, Laust H. Mortensen, Amar J. Mehta Jan 2024

Modelling The Spatial Risk Pattern Of Dementia In Denmark Using Residential Location Data: A Registry-Based National Cohort, Prince M. Amegbor, Clive E. Sabel, Laust H. Mortensen, Amar J. Mehta

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Dementia is a major global public health concern that is increasingly leading to morbidity and mortality among older adults. While studies have focused on the risk factors and care provision, there is currently limited knowledge about the spatial risk pattern of the disease. In this study, we employ Bayesian spatial modelling with a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) approach to model the spatial risk using complete residential history data from the Danish population and health registers. The study cohort consisted of 1.6 million people aged 65 years and above from 2005 to 2018. The results of the spatial risk map …


Eachempati P, Mishra L, Francis T, Et Al. A Comprehensive Guide To Removable Partial Dentures. Part 2: Impressions, Laboratory Procedures, Insertion, And Case Studies., Prashanti Eachempati, Devi Prasad Nooji, Guy Lambourn, Himanshi Aggarwal, Kiran Kumar Krishnappa Salian, Ewen Mccoll Jan 2024

Eachempati P, Mishra L, Francis T, Et Al. A Comprehensive Guide To Removable Partial Dentures. Part 2: Impressions, Laboratory Procedures, Insertion, And Case Studies., Prashanti Eachempati, Devi Prasad Nooji, Guy Lambourn, Himanshi Aggarwal, Kiran Kumar Krishnappa Salian, Ewen Mccoll

Peninsula Dental School

This two-part series provides a comprehensive guide to fabricating definitive metal partial dentures, addressing the challenges dental practitioners face in mastering prosthesis design. It aims to equip dental professionals with a thorough understanding of the theoretical foundations and clinical methods for effective metal partial denture fabrication. Part 2 covers removable partial denture (RPD) design philosophies, tooth preparation, secondary impressions, laboratory procedures, trial and final insertions, as well as post-insertion complications and their management. Additionally, four case scenarios are included to help readers apply the knowledge gained from both parts to design a metal partial denture.


Exploring The Behavioural And Neural Bases Of Impulsivity In A Transdiagnostic Approach Relevant For Addiction., Kenza Kadri Jan 2024

Exploring The Behavioural And Neural Bases Of Impulsivity In A Transdiagnostic Approach Relevant For Addiction., Kenza Kadri

School of Psychology Theses

This thesis aims to investigate the behavioural and neural basis of impulsivity, which is known to be a risk factor in the development of psychiatric disorders such as addiction. To tackle this issue, the thesis uses neuroimaging, behavioural, and machine-learning techniques to identify transdiagnostic markers of impulsivity and their relationship with striatal connectivity and decision-making variability. This thesis was divided into two studies. The first one aims to associate a set of transdiagnostic markers relevant to addiction with the connectivity profiles of the striatum, which is known to be implicated in processes of reward, motivation, and decision-making. In particular, this …


'A Knock At The Door': A Memoir With A Supplemental Dissertation About Its Craft In The Context Of Alan Bennett's 'The Lady In The Van' And Lemn Sissay's 'My Name Is Why', Robert Parsons Jan 2024

'A Knock At The Door': A Memoir With A Supplemental Dissertation About Its Craft In The Context Of Alan Bennett's 'The Lady In The Van' And Lemn Sissay's 'My Name Is Why', Robert Parsons

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

My project has two elements: a memoir, titled 'A Knock at the Door', and a critical dissertation.On December 23rd, 1975, Ronnie, a homeless man who had spent the majority of his childhood in care and had educational challenges, knocked on our door. At that time, I was a young lawyer and had been married for four years. I invited him in; my wife and I gave him a meal and offered that he stay the night. He never left. He died in September 2020 having lived with us for forty-five years. During that time, we had children, brought them up …


An Exploration Of Preconception Care For People With Health Conditions Using Realist Methodology: What Works, For Whom, And In What Circumstances?, Heather Hopper Jan 2024

An Exploration Of Preconception Care For People With Health Conditions Using Realist Methodology: What Works, For Whom, And In What Circumstances?, Heather Hopper

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

Background: People living with pre-existing physical or mental health conditions are over-represented in audits and confidential enquiries regarding maternal morbidity and mortality and thus often advised to stabilise or optimise their health prior to becoming pregnant. Preconception care may include medication or behaviour change, which can be effective but not always accessed by those who need it, and there is a lack of evidence demonstrating how this can be achieved. The aim of this study was therefore to explore what form of preconception care for people living with health conditions works, for whom, how do these approaches work, and in …


Development And Validation Of A Patient-Reported Experience Measure For Older Adults Attending The Emergency Department: The Prem-Ed 65 Study, Blair Graham Jan 2024

Development And Validation Of A Patient-Reported Experience Measure For Older Adults Attending The Emergency Department: The Prem-Ed 65 Study, Blair Graham

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

Emergency Department (ED) care traditionally focuses on resolving single-organ pathology, emphasising rapid patient flow. As such, ED care may fall short of addressing the holistic needs of older adults, where atypical and complex presentations exacerbated by frailty, comorbidity, polypharmacy, and sensory deficits are much more prevalent than in the general population. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the effects of ED crowding and prolonged length of ED stay and suffer increased in-hospital mortality as a result.Patient experience is a central determinant of quality of care and is positively associated with improved outcomes for acute conditions, including pneumonia, asthma, and acute …


The Reconstruction Of Climate In Beringia By Analysis Of Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraether (Gdgt) Distributions Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (Hplc-Ms)., Lauren Beth Pankhurst Jan 2024

The Reconstruction Of Climate In Beringia By Analysis Of Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraether (Gdgt) Distributions Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (Hplc-Ms)., Lauren Beth Pankhurst

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The reconstruction of past environments, including temperatures, aids in the production of climate models which predict how the Earth will respond to future climatic changes that are occurring at an accelerated rate, due to global warming. High-latitude seas, including the Bering Sea, are sensitive to changes in global climate, across both glacial and interglacial timescales. Membrane lipids synthesised by archaea and bacteria are retained within the sediment and when extracted give evidence to the environmental conditions present during the organism’s lifetime. The membrane lipids are structured in a way that is chemically favourable to their environment, and calibrations derived in …


The Development And Validation Of A Novel Patient-Derived 3d Meningioma Cell Culture Model, Laurien Lisette Van De Weijer Jan 2024

The Development And Validation Of A Novel Patient-Derived 3d Meningioma Cell Culture Model, Laurien Lisette Van De Weijer

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Meningiomas are the most frequent intracranial brain tumours. Current treatment options of surgery and radiotherapy are sometimes insufficient and effective systemic therapies remain unestablished. The development of accurate in vitro systems to model the complexity of meningioma pathology is essential for predicting drug response and developing novel therapeutics. Therefore, in this study, I established an easy-to-use in vitro patient-derived meningioma spheroid model that maintained the morphological and molecular features of the parental tumours, including tissue histology, the tumour microenvironment, and the mutational profile. Comprehensive characterisation of the global transcriptomes of the novel patient-derived spheroids with traditional meningioma monolayer cultures and …


Epigenetic Regulation Of Inflammatory Pathways In Alcohol Related Hepatitis, Huey Kuan Tan Jan 2024

Epigenetic Regulation Of Inflammatory Pathways In Alcohol Related Hepatitis, Huey Kuan Tan

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Background: Alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD) contributes to approximately 1% of deaths worldwide and impacts on both economy and healthcare system. Alcohol related hepatitis (AH) - phenomenon of ArLD which is characterised by overactive inflammation is associated with 30% mortality rate at 90 days. Glucocorticoids (GC) are commonly used to treat AH. However, more than 1 in 3 patients fail to respond to GC therapy. Within the GC responders, the efficacy is variable due to individual glucocorticoid resistance. Improving our comprehension of GC non-responsiveness/ resistance is critical for early stratification of these patients and development of alternative therapies. This piece of …


An Evolutionary Algorithms Approach To Physical Modelling Of Vocal Synthesis, Jared Drayton Jan 2024

An Evolutionary Algorithms Approach To Physical Modelling Of Vocal Synthesis, Jared Drayton

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This thesis documents the application of Evolutionary Algorithms to the Acoustic Articulatory Inversion of vowels using the Praat physical model. Speech synthesis by computational means has been a field for many decades, giving rise to several differing approaches. While the physical modelling approach has been a continually active area of research, it has yet to prove a viable solution to applied TTS systems partly due to the complexity of the model parameters, hence why an efficient and robust method of Acoustic-Articulatory Inversion of parameters for these models would benefit the field. To do so, the use of Evolutionary Algorithms as …


#Instafood: A Speculative Design Exploration Of The Eating Experience, Perception, Fabrication, And Consumption., Jie Yan Jan 2024

#Instafood: A Speculative Design Exploration Of The Eating Experience, Perception, Fabrication, And Consumption., Jie Yan

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

The discussion of dietary nutrition and the pursuit of satisfaction in eating experience has consistently attracted significant attention. While advanced technologies have been dedicated to providing solutions in these fields, the challenge of increasingly complex and diverse dietary needs requires more innovative approaches. Grounded in speculative design, this study introduces InstaFood, an approach to personalized eating for well-being. It speculates a future possibility of influencing intake by manipulating food-related visual cues, through a combination of perceptual impacts, social media image-based investigations, and digital fabrication.Research on crossmodal perception in psychology establishes a theoretical framework that links visual characteristics to food perception, …


What Role Do Metrics Of Value Play In Translating Policy Into Action In Partnership Management Of Landscape Restoration?, Adam Guy Jan 2024

What Role Do Metrics Of Value Play In Translating Policy Into Action In Partnership Management Of Landscape Restoration?, Adam Guy

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Accelerating decline in the quality and extent of natural habitats has led to biodiversity loss characterised as an unprecedented global crisis. The emerging explanatory paradigm is that nature has been systematically undervalued economically.The response has been a (moral) demand for environmental restoration. This call to action, driven by the hegemonic sustainability discourse, proposes interventions driven by partnerships of local and state agents, empowered to act immediately despite pervading uncertainty around appropriate restoration techniques, and unpredictable outcomes. In the context of the delegislating neoliberal state, funding is problematic, engagement in partnerships is comparatively unsuccessful, and the policy context is muddled by …


Utilising Plutonium Isotopes To Evaluate Soil Erosion In Tropical East African Agri-Systems, Sophia Marie Dowell Jan 2024

Utilising Plutonium Isotopes To Evaluate Soil Erosion In Tropical East African Agri-Systems, Sophia Marie Dowell

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

In the beautiful landscapes of Tropical East Africa, agriculture serves as the lifeblood of both people and ecosystems. The delicate balance between agriculture and soil preservation forms a complex web of factors that significantly impact soil and plant health in the region. The use of plutonium (Pu) isotopes is a potential strategy for unravelling the history of soil erosion in this ecologically varied and agriculturally crucial area. This thesis investigates a novel method using Pu isotopes to study small-scale soil redistribution patterns across various land use histories and management practices in the Rift Valley region of the Winam Gulf catchment …