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Amphibolous Weglarskae Dastych, A New Addition To The Tardigrada Of Iceland With An Updated Checklist Of Icelandic Species (Eohypsibiidae, Eutardigrada)., Nj Marley, De Wright Nov 1996

Amphibolous Weglarskae Dastych, A New Addition To The Tardigrada Of Iceland With An Updated Checklist Of Icelandic Species (Eohypsibiidae, Eutardigrada)., Nj Marley, De Wright

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

During the examination of the extensive Tardigrada collections held at the Royal Museums of Scotland, specimens and sculptured eggs belonging to Amphibolus weglarskae (Dastych) were identified in the Morgan Icelandic collection. This species had not previously been reported from Iceland. A checklist of Icelandic Tardigrada species is also provided.

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Interfacing High Performance Liquid Chromatography With Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry For Speciation Studies, Warren Raymond Lee Cairns Jan 1996

Interfacing High Performance Liquid Chromatography With Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry For Speciation Studies, Warren Raymond Lee Cairns

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

A novel interface for the coupling of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the speciation of organometallic compounds has been developed and utilised for a number of diverse applications. Desolvation of the sample prior to reaching the plasma is shown to facilitate a more versatile coupling of the two instrumental techniques. This has been achieved by first volatilising the aerosol after nebulisation of the sample in a heated cyclone spray chamber. The resulting vapour is removed using a membrane drier and a thermoelectrically cooled condenser. The apparatus developed has been fully optimised to …

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The Agricultural Ecology Of Hay Meadows Within The Somerset Levels And Moors Environmentally Sensitive Area, Francis William Kirkham Jan 1996

The Agricultural Ecology Of Hay Meadows Within The Somerset Levels And Moors Environmentally Sensitive Area, Francis William Kirkham

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Ecologicai and productivity responses to agricultural management were studied over eiglit years in species-ricii hay meadows within a Site of Special Scientific Interest on a Somerset peat moor. The vegetation typified that of many wet meadows on the Somerset Levels and elsewhere, definable as MG5 {Cynosurus cristatus-Centaurea nigra meadow) and MG8 {Cynosurus cristatus-Caittia palustris flood pasture) within the National Vegetation Classification. The effects of inorganic fertilizers on species diversity, soil nitrogen loss and agricultural productivity (hay yield and beef production during aftermath grazing), were investigated during 1986-90. These data were subsequently analyzed for the effects of variations in water table …

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The Effects Of Whole Tree Harvesting On Site Hydrology And Soil Structure At Beddgelert Forest, N. Wales, Uk, Julia Elizabeth Hodgkins Jan 1996

The Effects Of Whole Tree Harvesting On Site Hydrology And Soil Structure At Beddgelert Forest, N. Wales, Uk, Julia Elizabeth Hodgkins

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The ITE biogeochemistry group monitoring solute movement at Beddgelert Forest provided an opportunity to study the hydrology of a steep section of hillslope in a high rainfall environment. The aim of the experiment was to characterise and compare the hillslope hydrologies of one forested and one whole tree harvested site. Particular attention was paid to the influence of trees both directly on soil water pathways and indirectly on soil characteristics. Atmospheric inputs were monitored for the slope and individual plots for one year. In spite of high rainfall volumes, the slope was not waterlogged indicating a soil with high conductivity. …

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Enhanced Oil Degradation By Bacteria When Immobilized To An Oleophilic Substratum, Nicola Gail Wilson Jan 1996

Enhanced Oil Degradation By Bacteria When Immobilized To An Oleophilic Substratum, Nicola Gail Wilson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Three immobilization matrices, Biofix (kaolinite microspheres), Drizit (polypropylene fibres) and polyester polyurethane were used as substrata for use in bioremediation. Enhanced biodegradation of petrol (Slovene diesel) and Ekofisk crude oil occurred with immobilization of Pseudomonas fluorescens to Biofix and Drizit in freshwater and saltwater systems. When compared to free bacteria, immobilization resulted in; increased growth, accelerated ability of the cells to utilize oil, and enhanced biodegradation as determined by gas chromatography. In the freshwater systems Drizit immobilized cells reduced the lag phase to one day in comparison to six in a free system and increased biodegradation of the n-alkanes by …

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Paradigms For The Design Of Multimedia Learning Environments In Engineering, Chrisopher Robert Smith Jan 1996

Paradigms For The Design Of Multimedia Learning Environments In Engineering, Chrisopher Robert Smith

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The starting point for this research was the belief that interactive multimedia learning environments represent a significant evolution in computer based learning and therefore their design requires a re-examination of the underlying principles of learning and knowledge representation. Current multimedia learning environments (MLEs) can be seen as descendants of the earlier technologies of computer-aided learning (CAL), intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) and videodisc-based learning systems. As such they can benefit from much of the wisdom which emerged from those technologies. However, multimedia can be distinguished from earlier technologies by its much greater facility in bringing to the learner high levels of …

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International Collision Regulations For Automatic Collision Avoidance, Christopher James Perkins Jan 1996

International Collision Regulations For Automatic Collision Avoidance, Christopher James Perkins

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

This thesis considers the relationship between collision regulations and an automatic collision avoidance system (ACAS). Automation of ship operations is increasingly common. The automation of the collision avoidance task may have merit on grounds of reduced manual workload and the elimination of human error. Work to date by engineers and computer programmers has focused on modelling the requirements of the current collision regulations. This thesis takes a new approach and indicates that legislative change is a necessary precursor to the implementation of a fully automatic collision avoidance system. A descriptive analysis has been used to consider the nature of the …

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The Trade Manufacture And Design Of English Blacksmithing In The Post War Period, David James Hawkins Jan 1996

The Trade Manufacture And Design Of English Blacksmithing In The Post War Period, David James Hawkins

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Blacksmithing has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last twenty five years. This study examines the changes and the context within which they have taken place. The effects upon the products of the blacksmith are considered through empirical research and practical work. The working methods and philosophies of blacksmiths representative of a continuity of traditions and innovatory practice are investigated through interviews and other approaches. From its origins as a rural and industrial craft, blacksmithing has emerged in the form of art-blacksmithing. Institutional and government intervention, new technologies and markets provide the context in which the ideologies and practices are …

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Sub-National Electoral Systems And Minority Parties In The European Community, Lisa Sheila Harrison Jan 1996

Sub-National Electoral Systems And Minority Parties In The European Community, Lisa Sheila Harrison

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis analyses the extent to which particular electoral system features and rules affect the opportunities for, and proportionality of, the representation of certain far right and regionalist at various sub-national levels in key European Community member states. The thesis employs data provided in a unique data base at the University of Plymouth. This data includes a wealth of information concerning shares of the votes and shares of the seats for as many identifiable parties as possible in a range of sub-national elections in the post World War Two period and measures the proportionality of elections using three indices of …

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Bereavement And Moral And Spiritual Development : An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Children And Young People, Valerie Clark Jan 1996

Bereavement And Moral And Spiritual Development : An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Children And Young People, Valerie Clark

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis, which is in two parts, attempts to interpret in moral and spiritual terms those responses to bereavement that are often described as psychological. In part one human development is considered comparing religious, philosophical, scientific and psychological theories and a model of the 'core self is proposed (body, mind and emotions) which responds to social and cultural influences in ways that can be considered moral and spiritual. Theories of duty, consequence and virtue are considered as well as Kohlberg's theory of justice reasoning and Gilligan's views about caring. Within spirituality notions of dualism and continuity-discontinuity are noted and a …

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The Poetry Of Ronald Duncan, Daniel Charles Lane Jan 1996

The Poetry Of Ronald Duncan, Daniel Charles Lane

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis is the first sustained critical analysis of the poetry of Ronald Duncan (1914-1982). As this is the first study of Duncan's poetry, a substantial part is exegesis and follows a chronological pattern. Duncan was a man of letters who wrote poetry, plays, librettos, songs, short stories, journals, autobiographies, biographies and novels. He was strongly influenced by T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. Their poetics and personal advice enabled Duncan to produce a series of publications that pursued some basic modernist tenets, such as an adherence to a European poetic tradition and the belief that poetry could induce cultural …

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Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome: An Ultrastructural And Epidemiological Investigation, Penelope Sargeant Jan 1996

Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome: An Ultrastructural And Epidemiological Investigation, Penelope Sargeant

School of Biomedical Sciences Theses

Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome (VVS) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the vestibular epithelium of the vulva, which has been estimated to affect 15% of the female population (Goetsch, 1991 ). Many studies have attempted unsuccessfully, to elucidate the cause of this condition, and few advances have been made towards the understanding of the associated inflammatory response. The initial, and principal aim of this investigation was to characterise normal vestibular epithelium using electron microscopy. The ultrastructural characteristics of normal vestibular epithelium were compared with closely related epithelia, and with vestibular epithelia from VVS patients. Other aims included an investigation of the …

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Remote Sensing Of Suspended Sediment, Samantha Jane Lavender Jan 1996

Remote Sensing Of Suspended Sediment, Samantha Jane Lavender

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

A remote sensing near infrared suspended sediment algorithm is developed from first principles and applied to Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imagery (CASI) data flown over the Humber Estuary. Laboratory measurements were used as the basis for the algorithm development, with the resulting spectra indicating that the ideal wavelength for a suspended sediment algorithm is the near infrared. The resulting algorithm took the form of a waveband ratio which was subsequently validated with a semi-analytical water optics model based on the absorption/scattering properties of the optically active constituents. The model was then used to derive a global water-leaving radiance algorithm, which is …

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Outcome Bias In Judgements Of The Quality Of Experimental Designs, Peter Bradon Jan 1996

Outcome Bias In Judgements Of The Quality Of Experimental Designs, Peter Bradon

School of Psychology Theses

This thesis is concerned with the evaluation of experimental design. It reviews design research in general and notes some methodological limitations. The process of experimental design is considered in the light of this review, particularly in terms of the ability of designers to evaluate potential designs. Experiment 1, a prospective study involving the creative design of psychology experiments, reports inadequate assessment of experimental power and little or no evidence of explicit evaluation processes. Experiment 2 assesses the evaluation of existing experimental designs and demonstrates that judgements of the quality of experimental design are influenced by the presence of outcome information …

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Investigation And Computer Modelling Of The Pore Structure Of Paper And Of Consolidated Pigment Coatings, John Kettle Jan 1996

Investigation And Computer Modelling Of The Pore Structure Of Paper And Of Consolidated Pigment Coatings, John Kettle

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The aim of this project was to enhance the current state of knowledge of the void structure of paper, and pigments used to coat paper. The porosities and pore size distributions of consolidated pigments were measured using mercury porosimetry. Prior to this work, mercury porosimetry was rarely used in this field due to problems associated with the conventional interpretation of mercury porosimetry data. These problems were examined and two limitations of mercury porosimetry were addressed. Firstly, the shrinkage of compressible samples causes an apparent increase in void volume and secondly, large void spaces shielded by smaller ones are not intruded …

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The Long Term Psychological Consequences Of War Experiences, Nigel Hunt Jan 1996

The Long Term Psychological Consequences Of War Experiences, Nigel Hunt

School of Psychology Theses

The present study was carried out to examine long-term psychological difficulties associated with war experience. 731 World War Two and Korean War veterans completed a questionnaire supplying biographical details, war-related experience, and present day psychological health. A significant proportion had war-related psychological difficulties, these problems correlating more strongly with war-related intrusive thoughts and avoidance than with actual combat experiences. A subgroup of 25 veterans were selected for depth interview. The results of these interviews supported the finding that many veterans have war-related problems, and that they related more to intrusion and avoidance than to actual experiences. For some veterans these …

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Finite Deformations Of A Generalized Blatz-Ko Material, Yi Wang Jan 1996

Finite Deformations Of A Generalized Blatz-Ko Material, Yi Wang

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In this dissertation, the finite deformations of a certain class of compressible, isotropic elastic materials are investigated. The class is characterized by a two-parameter family of strain energy functions which includes the well-known Blatz-Ko material model for foam rubbers. The Blatz-Ko material, which has been arrived at by experiment and whose deformations have been studied previously, is obtained from the considered class of materials by specifying one of the two parameters involved in the definition of the class. On employing the semi-inverse method, according to which the form of the solution is given at the outset in terms of functions …

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An Approach For The Development Of Computer Based Best Practice Delivery Mechanisms For Small And Medium Sized Manufacturing Enterprises, Philip Andrew Smart Jan 1996

An Approach For The Development Of Computer Based Best Practice Delivery Mechanisms For Small And Medium Sized Manufacturing Enterprises, Philip Andrew Smart

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Changes in the competitive environment have strongly influenced manufacturing companies to adopt and develop best practice. Best practice is usually imported into companies using the services of consultancy organisations. The use of consultancy services does not guarantee success however, and inadequate results have been obtained by practitioners who have engaged in client-consultant relationships. The inadequacy of these results may be explained by the installation of pre-defined solutions by consultants as opposed to the adaptation and implementation of solutions to meet the specific requirements of practitioners. Tills may in part be explained by a lack of understanding of 'best practice'. Tills …

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The Antioxidant Role Of Α-Tocopherol In The Nutrition Of African Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus Burchell), Remi Thomas Merrett Baker Jan 1996

The Antioxidant Role Of Α-Tocopherol In The Nutrition Of African Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus Burchell), Remi Thomas Merrett Baker

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The role of the lipid-soluble antioxidant α-tocopherol (vitamin E) in the nutrition of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell) has been investigated with respect to effects on growth, certain indices of health and prevention of tissue lipid peroxidation. Although juvenile C. gariepinus were not found to show an immediate dependency on vitamin E for growth, even during rapid growth stages, a minimum requirement of α-tocopherol based on the prevention of hepatic lipid peroxidation was established at 30-40mg α-tocopherol per kg dry diet. This is in line with published values for numerous cultured fish species. Tissue α-tocopherol accretion was found to be …

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Rurality, Locality And Industrial Change: A Micro-Scale Investigation Of Manufacturing Growth In The District Of Leominster, Richard Yarwood Jan 1996

Rurality, Locality And Industrial Change: A Micro-Scale Investigation Of Manufacturing Growth In The District Of Leominster, Richard Yarwood

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Spreading Pattern And Mesoscale Structure Of Mediterranean Outflow In The Iberian Basin Estimated From Historical Data, G. I. Shapiro, S. L. Meschanov Jan 1996

Spreading Pattern And Mesoscale Structure Of Mediterranean Outflow In The Iberian Basin Estimated From Historical Data, G. I. Shapiro, S. L. Meschanov

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

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The Conservation And Ecology Of The Heath Lobelia, Lobelia Urens L., Janet Mary Dinsdale Jan 1996

The Conservation And Ecology Of The Heath Lobelia, Lobelia Urens L., Janet Mary Dinsdale

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

This programme of research examines the ecology of the threatened perennial Lobelia urens L. (the heath lobelia) which reaches the northern limit of its distribution in the southern coastal counties of England. A survey of the historical evidence of the distribution of the species in England is presented. Restricted to such a small area, L. urens has always been rare in Britain. The six remaining populations were surveyed to describe the phytosociology of communities containing L. urens and the variability of the environmental factors controlling its distribution. L. urens is shown to be a member of rough grass-heath communities dominated …

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Joint Determination Of Demand For Inputs And Choice Of Rice Varieties In Northern Thailand, S Rahman, S Sriboonchitta Jun 1995

Joint Determination Of Demand For Inputs And Choice Of Rice Varieties In Northern Thailand, S Rahman, S Sriboonchitta

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The paper explores the potential of Khao Dawk Mali expansion in Northern Thailand as well as presents estimation of demand for variable inputs and choice of rice varieties as jointly determined by the profit-maximizing farmers. Results reveal that, Khao Dawk Mali provides economic advantage over glutinous varieties and can be conceived as a better alternative crop particularly in areas with inadequate irrigation and water control facilities. Consideration of the possibility of rice variety switching, that is, allowing the movement along a meta-production function, improved the elasticity estimates. A two-stage switching regression procedure which adjusts for selectivity bias is used to …

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Auditory Alarms In The Intensive Care Unit: Experimental And Observational Studies, Christina Meredith Jan 1995

Auditory Alarms In The Intensive Care Unit: Experimental And Observational Studies, Christina Meredith

School of Psychology Theses

There are many problems associated with the number of auditory warnings in hospital environments such as the Intensive Care Unit. As the amount of medical technology used to monitor a patient's condition increases, there is a concomitant increase in the number of auditory warnings. Each piece of equipment has its own alarm and often the sounds used are inappropriate. For example, the sounds are often too loud, too insistent and are irritating to staff, distracting them from other tasks. A further feature of sounds used for auditory alarms is that there is, at present, no agreement between manufacturers on the …

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Modelling Pore-Level Properties Of Porous Materials, Catherine Jean Ridgway Jan 1995

Modelling Pore-Level Properties Of Porous Materials, Catherine Jean Ridgway

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Pore-Cor is a 1.2 Mbyte Fortran 77 software package, which uses information from mercury porosimetry curves, supported by image-analysed electron micrographs, to generate a three-dimensional representational model of the pore-space within a porous material. As a result of this project, a much-improved version has been produced. The mercury intrusion curves for the simulated structures now converge automatically onto the experimental curves, so reducing the simulation time from several days to less than an hour. A further time economy has been provided by the incorporation of an improved permeability routine, reducing the calculation time from 10 minutes to 30 seconds. Modifications …

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Ecological Management Strategies For Impounded Harbours, Jim Smith Jan 1995

Ecological Management Strategies For Impounded Harbours, Jim Smith

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Long-term physical, chemical and biological monitoring (May 1990 to November 1994) was conducted in order to quantify water and sediment quality changes arising from the impoundment of Sutton Harbour, Plymouth (UK). Spore tracer studies revealed that 95 % water renewal times increased from 45 h to 72 h after impoundment. Semi-diurnal (tidal) salinity variations of circa 5 x10ˉ³ were observed, revealing a mechanism which shunts contaminated estuarine water into the harbour during flood tides. Salinity typically varied from 17 x 10ˉ³ to 34 x 10ˉ³ seasonally, and exhibited strong inverse correlations with total oxidised nitrogen and orthophosphate, demonstrating the riverine …

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Particulate Trace Metals In British Coastal Waters, Mark Richard Williams Jan 1995

Particulate Trace Metals In British Coastal Waters, Mark Richard Williams

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Key processes affecting the transport of particulate trace metals in the coastal waters of the Irish and North Seas have been examined. Sample collection and experimentation was carried out on board R.R-S. Challenger in January 1992 (Irish Sea) and in December 1992 and November 1993 (North Sea). Particulate samples were digested in IM HCI and the concentrations of Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn were determined, together with the 206/207Pb isotopic ratio. In the North Eastern Irish Sea the concentrations of suspended particulate trace metals were affected significantly by tidal processes, such that ebb tides transport particles …

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Experiences Of Women Before And After Bariatric Surgery, Janet Followell Jan 1995

Experiences Of Women Before And After Bariatric Surgery, Janet Followell

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Obesity has reached epidemic proportion in the United States. Results of diet, exercise regimens, and/or medications are discouraging for most individuals; therefore, bariatric surgery is on the rise. Patients undergoing bariatric surgery are overwhelmingly female. There is a plethora of research regarding improvement of co-morbidities, but little focus has been placed on the impact of bariatric surgery on positive as well as negative psychosocial outcomes. The purposes of this study were to explore experiences of women who have undergone bariatric surgery and to gain an understanding of the decision to have surgery. No qualitative research was found regarding individuals' life …

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Temporally Discriminated Operant Responding In Fish, Phil Gee Jan 1995

Temporally Discriminated Operant Responding In Fish, Phil Gee

School of Psychology Theses

In Experiment 1, groups of 10 goldfish and of 10 grey mullet were trained to press a lever for food under a fixed, daily, light cycle. The periods during which responses were reinforced were restricted to two, 1-hr periods in every 24 hrs. These periods occurred at the same time each day. Responses were coordinated with the temporal contingencies of the schedule, and this pattern persisted for a number of days when no responses were reinforced. Experiment 2 demonstrated that a fixed light cycle was not essential for the maintenance of temporal discrimination. Experiment 3 followed a similar procedure to …

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Examination Of The Role Of The Teacher In Early Reading, Rosalind Fisher Jan 1995

Examination Of The Role Of The Teacher In Early Reading, Rosalind Fisher

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

The research presented here considers the role of the teacher of reading in the child's first year of school. It was undertaken in an attempt to find out more about how teachers go about teaching children to read. The research was inductive in design and adopted an ethnographic methodology. The research was undertaken in two parts with five teachers in all providing case studies of practice. In the first part. the roles adopted by three Reception / Year One teachers were examined and the literacy tasks they provided for children were analysed. The results of this study led the researcher …

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