Digital Commons Network^™

Fluorescence Studies In The Inductively Coupled Plasma, Anita Young

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

An Optima 3000 ICP-AES instrument was modified and the equipment necessary to carry out axial excitation atomic fluorescence was designed and constructed. Using this calibrated system, preliminary fluorescence experiments were not successful. As fluorescence is proportional to source intensity, it was considered that the excitation source, a hollow cathode lamp, may not have been sufficiently intense to produce fluorescence. A novel excitation source-driver system was designed and built in-house to operate HCLs, BDHCLs and LEDs with variable modulation frequencies and duty cycle capabilities. Studies investigating lamp response to changes in modulation frequency and duty cycle indicated that a lamp operated …

Grazing Management And Plant Community Composition On Bodmin Moor, Gavin Stewart

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The research presented in this thesis was focused on aspects of the dynamic response of upland vegetation to grazing, to allow evaluation of the suitability of Countryside Stewardship (CS) management for the rehabilitation of dwarf-shrub cover in the upland landscape of Bodmin Moor. Initial chapters review the ecological character of Bodmin Moor, grazing management and vegetation in upland habitats, and succession in relation to grazing. Chapter Five provides the first extensive and detailed phytosociological investigation of the vegetation of Bodmin Moor-providing a baseline for further work. It also examines the spatial distribution of the plant communities in relation to environmental …

Determination Of Additives In Fuels Using Automated Flow Injection Analysis With Chemiluminescence Detection, Philip James Fletcher

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The overall objective of this thesis was to develop field deployable instrumentation for the selective, sensitive determination of additives in diesel fuels using flow injection with chemiluminescence detection. The target analytes were the detergent dodecylamine and the lubricity additive P655. Chapter One describes the types of additives that are used in fully formulated diesel fuels in order to improve performance and outlines the need for robust analytical methods to be able to detect their presence / absences in fuels at the point of distribution, i.e. at the petrol pump. Flow injection (FI), and chemiluminescence (CL) are described as suitable techniques …

In Situ Monitoring And Biogeochemical Cycling Of Nutrients In Estuarine Waters, Paulo Cesar Ferreira Da Costa Gardolinski

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This thesis describes the use of in situ and laboratory techniques for monitoring nitrate, phosphate and master variables in the environment. Chapter One presents a general overview of nutrients, how they are essential for aquatic biota, their general characteristics and the importance of their behaviour in estuaries. Commonly used analytical methods for nutrient determinations in natural waters are also evaluated. Chapter Two reports the use of chemometrics to determine trends in historical time-series physicochemical datasets {e.g. nitrate+nitrite, phosphate, river flow, precipitation, suspended solids, water temperature and chlorophyll a) from the Tamar catchment, UK. The results provided useful information about correlations …

Hillslope And Watershed Scale Hydrological Processes And Grazing Management In A Dartmoor Catchment, Southwest England, Erik W. Meyles

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Concerns have been raised on the deterioration of heather moorland due to management in the UK. A study was therefore conducted on the impacts of moorland management on the soils and hydrology of a catchment on Dartmoor. Soil moisture was measured gridwise using TDR on 19 occasions. At 23 sites within this grid, physical properties of the topsoil were obtained. At three locations, tensiometer nests were installed, recording soil suction at 10 cm depth intervals. At the catchment scale, stream discharge and rainfall were recorded. Grazing densities within the watershed were estimated and the observed patterns were related to vegetation …

The Influence Of Surfactants On The Sorption Of Phenanthrene In Natural Waters, Tracey Louise Jones-Hughes

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely recognised as harmful, persistent organic pollutants, whilst surfactants are more easily degraded but their ubiquitous use both domestically and industrially ensures their presence in natural waters. Owing to both their hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, surfactants are capable of both adsolubilisation and solubilisation of co-contaminants, hence, their presence in natural waters is considered extremely significant. The purpose of this research was to determine how surfactants and PAHs influence each other in estuaries where both are co-disposed. This study is the first to employ environmentally realistic concentrations of surfactants and to use natural particles in order …

An Investigation Of Labour Ward Care To Inform The Design Of A Computerised Decision Support System For The Management Of Childbirth, Maureen Harris

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

Patient monitoring is a complex task, particularly during childbirth, where assessment of the baby's condition is inferred from the continuous electronic recording of the baby's heart rate pattern and maternal uterine contractions (CTG). Computerised decision support has long been advocated, as difficulties in the interpretation of the CTG have led to failure to intervene and unnecessary intervention. The problem is large, for obstetric litigation now accounts for 80% of the UK National Health Service litigation bill. The Plymouth Perinatal Research Group has developed a computerised decision support system for patient monitoring during childbirth and the UK Medical Research Council has …

Unresolved Complex Mixtures Of Aromatic Hydrocarbons In The Marine Environment : Toxicity, Solubility And Photodegradation Studies, Emma Louise Smith

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Unresolved complex mixtures (UCMs) of aromatic hydrocarbons have been found in a wide range of environmental matrices at high concentrations. However, limited consideration has been given to the potential detrimental effects of the accumulation of these compounds in the marine environment. In particular, there is a need to evaluate these compounds in the light of recent evidence that points to the long term effects of oil in the marine environment. The overall aim of this work was therefore to investigate unresolved complex mixtures of aromatic hydrocarbons in the marine environment with particular emphasis on assessment of toxicity, aqueous solubility and …

The Development And Study Of Chelating Substrates For The Separation Of Metal Ions In Complex Sample Matrices, James Cowan

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The fabrication and study of high performance chelating substrates for the separation of trace metals using a single column under both isocratic and gradient elutions were investigated. Neutral polystyrene based resins from a variety of manufacturers including a hypercrosslinked resin (MN 200) were functionalised via impregnation with chelating dyestuffs or dynamically modified with small, low molecular weight organic molecules by physical adsorption and chemisorption processes respectively. Improvements in the impregnation of substrates were developed, based upon ultrasonic agitation, along with improvements in the detection of metal ions by the use of a noise reduction system, eluent clean-up procedures and large …

The Determination Of Copper In Sea Water Using Flow Injection With Chemiluminescence Detection, Richard Charles Sandford

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This thesis describes the design, optimisation and shipboard deployment of a flow injection - chemiluminescence (FI-CL) technique for the determination of labile Cu(II) and total copper (by UV irradiation) in seawater. The operational parameters of the FI manifold in a UHP water sample matrix and the 1,10-phenanthroline CL reaction were rigorously optimised. Interferences to the CL reaction were investigated and the good analytical figures of merit obtained presented. The FI-CL method was modified for the determination of ultra trace levels of Cu(II) in seawater by the incorporation of a new design of micro-column containing 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) resin for in-line matrix …

Barriers To Sustainability Among Tourism-Related Businesses : Identification And Reduction, Jonathan Andrew Vernon

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The attainment of sustainable development has emerged as one of the main challenges facing society and the economy in the twenty-first century. In tourism, the English Tourism Council (2001 a, p. 11) recognise that sustainable tourism can no longer be regarded as an optional extra, but is fundamental to safeguarding the long-term competitiveness of the industry. To establish sustainable development as a primary strategic objective within the tourism industry represents a substantial challenge. Such a goal is problematic not least because the sector is so diverse and is based around a large number of small businesses which are not always …

A Critical Analysis Of Gardens As A Resource For Tourism And Recreation In The Uk, Joanne Jane Connell

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Garden visiting has become a popular leisure pursuit in recent years. Within a tourism and recreation context, scant research exists on the subject of gardens as recreational resources and the manner in which they are presented to and consumed by the public. This thesis explores the scope and nature of gardens as tourism and recreation resources in the UK. The thesis examines the conceptual foundations of the garden, in order to establish what reasons explain predisposition towards garden visiting, and why gardens provide a desirable environment in which people want to spend leisure time. The activity of garden visiting is …

Fundamental And Applied Measurements In Icp-Ms, Julian Robert Carter

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Fundamental and applied aspects of ICP-MS have been investigated to gain an increased understanding of the technique and improve on its analytical capabilities. Dissociation temperatures of polyatomic ions were calculated using a double-focusing sector instrument, to obtain more reliable mass spectral data with controlled vapour introduction via a Dreschel bottle to allow accurate calculation of the ingredients in the plasma. The equilibrium temperature for the plasma, operated at 1280 W calculated using CO*, and as the thermometric probes, was c.a. 5800 - 7400 K, while using ArO* and ArC* as the thermometric probes the temperature calculated was c.a 2000 - …

Sources And Structures Of Commonly Occurring Highly Branched Isoprenoid Alkenes, William Guy Allard

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) alkenes are ubiquitous lipids which have been identified in numerous geochemical samples, ranging from recent sediments to ancient oils. At the outset of the current investigation, the diatomaceous algae Haslea ostrearia (C25 alkenes) and Rhizosolenia setigera (C25 or C30 alkenes) were the only reported biological sources of these compounds. However, there remained a poor correlation between isomers found in diatoms and those commonly reported in sediments and water column particles. In the present study, the structures of fourteen novel C25 HBI trienes, tetraenes and pentaenes, and four C30 HBI pentaenes and hexaenes have been rigorously characterised …

Observation And Modelling Of Fluid Transport Into Porous Paper Coating Structures, Joachim Schoelkopf

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

In paper printing, one of the most important aspects for consideration is the control of ink setting rate. Ink setting, depending on ink and press type, is a function of evaporation, curing and removal of the liquid phase by capillary mechanisms steered by the porous substrate. In most cases, absorption by the substrate is the dominating mechanism. Many paper or board substrates are coated with a layer of pigment panicles and binders. It is recognised that the void network between these panicles has the most important influence on the absorption dynamics. Many aspects of liquid absorption into porous networks are …

The Development Of A Methodology For The Identification Of Potential Wet Grassland Restoration Sites In South West England, Francien Van Soest

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Large scale drainage and pasture improvement in the past and present-day neglect of the floristically diverse wet grasslands in south west England have caused a significant decrease, approximately 92% since 1900. in the total area of this ecologically valuable semi-natural plant community. The plant community, which is locally called Culm grassland, consists of acid purple moor grassland, soft rush meadows and wet heaths. Conservation and restoration of these grasslands requires careful planning and efficient use of resources. This study was aimed at developing strategies for regional planning authorities and nature conservation agencies and developed a management tool for the selection …

The United States Of America And The International Criminal Court, Diane Marie Amann, Mortimer N.S. Sellers

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Cellular Stress During Cold Ischaemic And Reperfusion Injury, Jonathan Richard Roberts

Peninsula Medical School Theses

The elemental physiology of the highly complex and regulated cellular response to stress remains poorly understood. Hypothermia and reperfusion are necessary and unavoidable stresses associated with the procurement, storage and transplantation of organs such as the kidney. Signal transduction pathways and transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved mediators of stress responses. This project has investigated the activation of the transcription factors Nuclear Factor kappa B (NFκB), Activator Protein 1 (AP1) and the Heat Shock Factor I (HSF1) as well as the mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK), p38, JNK and ERK 1 /2, during hypothermic and reperfusion stress in cultured endothelial cells …

Thoughts On Dastar From A Copyright Perspective: A Welcome Step Toward Respite For The Public Domain, Lynn Mclain

All Faculty Scholarship

Though other questions remain unresolved and other leaks unstemmed, Dastar is a welcome step towards regaining the public domain, and towards establishing that the confines of the public domain, with regard to nondeceptive reproduction of public domain works, and preparation of derivative works based upon them, must be delimited by only the copyright and patent laws.

This article will provide a background discussion of the copyright and patent schemes and their delineation of the public domain. It then will discuss the role of trademark law in that balance, and some of the case law regarding both § 43 of the …

What Has Happened To Named Nursing? Perceptions Of The Named Nurse System, Ann Josephine Humphreys

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the previously little researched area of the implementation of the Named Nurse Standard in hospital settings. The Standard formed part of the Government's programme of health service reforms that aimed to enhance the patient experience by having an identified nurse in charge of their care from admission to discharge. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to identify whether nursing work was organised to facilitate the named nurse concept and the patient's perception of who delivered their care. A case study approach in surgical wards in two NHS trusts enabled comparison of clinical …

A Study Of Hypoxia Inducible Factor And Related Genes In Disease In Man, Karen Lynn Søndergaard

Other Faculty of Health Theses

In this study, the mRNA and protein levels of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α), and a number of genes regulated by hypoxia (VEGF, GLUT-1, p53), were determined in four breast carcinoma cell lines, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with breast cancer and Type 1 diabetes (TIDM), and in human breast and brain tumour tissue. Breast carcinoma cells and PMBCs from both patients and normal controls were exposed to hypoxia (≤1% 0 2) and/or high glucose. Both up-regulated and down-regulated HIF-1α, GLUT-1 and p53 mRNA expression was observed in the breast carcinoma cell lines exposed to hypoxia and/or high …

Generation Of In Vitro B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia- Specific T Cell Responses Using Dendritic Cells, Ruth Victoria Goddard

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Immunotherapy using dendritic cells has shown encouraging results in both haematological and non-haematological malignancies. In this study, monocyte-derived dendritic cells from patients with B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia were generated by culture in Interleukin-4 and Granulocyte Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor. Lysate-pulsed autologous dendritic cells were used as antigen presenting cells in co-culture with autologous B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia T-cells. B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia T-cells stimulated with B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia lysate-pulsed autologous dendritic cells showed a significant increase in cell surface expression of Interleukin-2 Receptor (CD25), Interferongamma secretion and cytotoxicity against autologous B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia B-cell targets hut not against targets …

Genetic Analysis Of The Microvascular Complications Of Diabetes Mellitus, Deborah F Cross

Other Faculty of Health Theses

There is increasing evidence to suggest that genetic factors are involved in the pathogenesis of microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus. Recent studies have suggested that genetic variations in the aldose reductase (ALR2) gene may contribute to the genetic susceptibility to microvascular complications. Aldose reductase is the first and rate-limiting enzyme of the polyol pathway and is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular disease (nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy). It has recently been shown that the three polymorphisms of the ALR2 gene are associated with susceptibility to microvascular complications in both TIDM and T2DM. The aim of this study was to …

Port State Control And Its Implication On Ship Safety, Stephen Yiu Kwong Li

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Over the past twenty years a growth in sub-standard shipping has been observed. The thesis identifies the causes of this growth. It then identifies Port State Control (PSC) as a measure evolved by some states, with the purpose of removing sub-standard shipping from their waters, and thereby improving maritime safely and the protection of the environment. The purpose of this programme of research is to assess the effectiveness of PSC in achieving its purpose. An eclectic research methodology has been adopted which first considers, in depth, the global and regional context in which PSC functions. Taking the Port of Hong …

Economic Linkages Within The Rural Economy: The Case Of Producer Services, Bryan Keith Mills

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

This research seeks to contribute towards the understanding of economic linkage within the rural context by exploring the relationship between rurally located small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their purchase of producer (business) services. In addition, the work considers other inter-rural and intra-rural differences, in both firm (SME) behaviour and firm characteristics. Whilst the subject of linkages has been explored by other researchers, the market town and SME focus of this thesis provides a more spatially contained framework than is often encountered within this type of research. By using four towns of similar size and structure contained within two noticeably …

The Influence Of Extracts Of Ascophvllum Nodosum On Plant And Soil-Borne Pathogen Interactions, Felisberta Maria Jesus Cunha

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

This thesis presents an investigation into the responses to extracts of Ascophyllum nodosum (Maxicrop seaweed extracts - MSE) of two different plants species - wheat and strawberry, and their interactions with two soil-borne pathogens, Gaeumannomyces graminis and Phytophthora fragariae respectively, under various environmental conditions. The responses to MSE using hydroponic, glasshouse and field experiments showed that levels of Take-all infection in wheat were reduced by some of the treatments applied. Repeat experiments showed that consistency of results was poor but a positive trend for disease suppression followed MSE treatments. Studies of strawberry infection by Phytophthora fragariae revealed a significantly reduced …

Controlling The Police: Local Autonomy In Policy And Practice, Richard John Applegate

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis assesses the influence of The Home Office, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulaiy, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Audit Commission, the Local Police Authority, and the Chief Constable on local policy makers and impleinenters within the Devon & Cornwall Constabiilary. It is based on five policy areas: the structmre of the organisation. The Citizens' Charter, Annual Policing (now Performance) Plans, Domestic Violence Policy, and Equal Opportunities Policy. Unlike previous research, it brings together the issues of policy and practice at all levels of the organisation through interviews with senior managers in the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary and …

Dorothy Elmhirst And The Visual Arts At Dartington Hall 1925 - 1945, Rachel Harrison

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis has been written with the intention of providing an account of the development of the visual arts at Dartington Hall in the inter-war period. Particular emphasis has been placed throughout on the role of Dorothy Elmhirst, the joint founder of the Dartington project, in the creation of one of Britain's most innovative experiments in rural regeneration in the twentieth century. Dorothy was a woman of considerable wealth, but her contribution to the Dartington enterprise extended beyond merely financial considerations. Her background as an American heiress enables, in the early stages of the thesis, an evaluation of her patronage …

Spaces Of Appearance: Writings On Contemporary Theatre And Performance, Antony David C. Williams

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis, a collection of previously published materials, reflects a plural and evolving engagement with theatre and performance over the past fifteen years or so: as researcher, writer, editor, teacher, practitioner, spectator. These have rarely been discreet categories for me, but rather different modalities of exploration and enquiry, interrelated spaces encouraging dynamic connectivities, flows and further questions. Section 1 offers critical accounts of the practices of four contemporary theatre directors: Jerzy Grotowski, Robert Wilson, Peter Brook and Ariane Mnouchkine. Section 2 draws on elements of contemporary philosophy and critical thinking to explore the mutable parameters of performance. lt proposes performative …

From Here To Diversity : Ethnicity In The National Health Service, Nicholas Richard Johns

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Nearly twenty years after the ground-breaking report by Brent Community Health Council (CHC) (1981) into the standard of health care provided to minority ethnic communities, there is continuing evidence of failure on the part of the National Health Service (NHS). One of the ways in which the New Labour government has sought to address such inadequacies in public services has been to increase the numbers of minority ethnic people in the workforce. The central argument of this thesis is that the notion of 'ethnic diversity' has not been adequately defined, and that the practical implications of diversity may be the …