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Nutrients And Eutrophication In The Taw Estuary, Gerald Maier

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Increased inputs of nutrients to estuaries and coastal waters can cause undesirable effects associated with eutrophication, including nuisance and toxic algal blooms, reduced amenity value, changes in species composition, bottom anoxia and fish kills. The main sources of nutrients to estuaries are river runoff, sewage discharges, atmospheric inputs and possibly submarine groundwater discharges. For the UK, estuarine eutrophication has been shown to occur in at least 16 estuaries (including the Taw in North Devon). Consequently, these systems have been designated as '(Potential) Problem Area' under the OSPAR Common Procedure for the Identification of Eutrophication and also as a 'Eutrophic Water' …

Measurement And Modelling Of Structure And Pore Level Processes In Filters And Wicks, John Charles Price

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Characterisation of new filtration and wicking materials through a 'wet-bench" testing process is a requirement for many filtration companies before new products can be released to market. A reduction in this testing commitment through the application of successful computational based models, requiring minimal empirical input, would undoubtedly result in huge financial savings and reductions in testing lead times. Such models could offer total media characterisation and could also aid further insights into many filtration and wicking processes which before would have required an expensive combination of different testing procedures. In this research, a depth filtration model has been developed, based …

Partnerships In The Development And Management Of Marine Nature-Based Tourism : An Analysis Of Effectiveness, Claire Kelly

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Partnerships have become increasingly prevalent across a wide range of sectors for the delivery of services and implementation of policy. Partnerships are seen as a more inclusive way of delivering policy interventions than more traditional state led or 'top-down' approaches. Yet it is unclear as to whether the partnership approach provides an effective vehicle for policy delivery. Academic debate has also focused on the most appropriate methods for evaluating different types of partnerships. To date, effectiveness has been viewed as an endpoint; a cumulative process which is the product of a set of variables acting on a one-dimensional process, which …

An Enhanced -1800-Year Record Of Recent Volcanic Ash-Fall Events For Northern New Zealand From The Analysis Of Cryptotephra, Maria J. Gehrels

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The history of volcanic eruptions in North Island, New Zealand, based on the visible stratigraphic record of tephras is not fully representative of the type, frequency and magnitude of eruptions that have occurred in the past or that are likely to occur in the future, Relatively small-scale eruptions from the region's andesitic volcanoes can produce widespread fine tephra falls with considerable impact, such as during recent eruptions of Mt Ruapehu ( 1995-1996) and Mt Ngauruhoe ( 1974-1975), and their threat is therefore likely to be underestimated. The aim of this study was to develop an enhanced stratigraphic record of recent …

Intra-Individual Variation In Children's Physical Activity Patterns: Implications For Measurement, Kate Ridley, Tim Olds, Beth P. Hands, Dawne Larkin, Helen Parker

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Children's physical activity (PA) patterns change form day to day. This intra-individual variability affects precision when measuring key physical activity and sedentary behavior variables. This paper discusses strategies to reduce the random error associated with intra-individual variability and demonstrates the implications for assessing PA when varying number of days are sampled. Self-reported data collected on two hundred and ninety eight 13- to 14-year-olds were used to compare estimates of PA and sedentary behaviour derived from between 1 and 7 days of recall data. Large intra-individual coefficients of variation were calculated for physical activity level (14.5%), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (83.4%), screen …

The Self Reported Aggravating Activities Of Chronic Non Specific Low Back Pain Patients Do Not Demonstrate A Consistent Directional Pattern: An Observational Study, Benedict M. Wand, Rebecca Hunter, Neil E. O'Connell, Louise Marston, James Mcauley

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Question: Do the self-reported aggravating activities of chronic non-specific low back pain patients demonstrate a consistent directional pattern?

Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Participants: 240 chronic non specific low back pain patients.

Outcome measure: We invited experienced clinicians to classify each of the three self-nominated aggravating activities from the Patient Specific Functional Scale by the direction of lumbar spine movement. Patients were described as demonstrating a directional pattern if all nominated activities moved the spine into the same direction. Analyses were undertaken to determine if the proportion of patients demonstrating a directional pattern was greater than would be expected by chance. …

Fitness, Motor Competence And Body Composition Are Weakly Associated With Adolescent Back Pain, Mark Perry, Leon Straker, Peter O'Sullivan, Anne Smith, Beth P. Hands

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Study Design: Cross sectional

Objectives: To assess the associations between adolescent back pain and fitness, motor competence and body composition.

Background: Although deficits in physical fitness and motor control have been shown to relate to adult back pain, the evidence in adolescents is less clear.

Methods and measures: In this cross-sectional study, 1608 "Raine" cohort adolescents (mean age, 14 years) answered questions on lifetime, month and chronic prevalence of back pain, and participated in a range of physical tests assessing aerobic capacity, muscle performance, flexibility, motor competence, and body composition. A history of diagnosed back pain in the adolescent was …

Introductory Note To Dispute Regarding Navigational And Related Rights (Costa Rica V. Nicaragua), International Court Of Justice, Judgment Of 13 July 2009, Nienke Grossman

All Faculty Scholarship

The Dispute Regarding Navigational and Related Rights (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua) concerns the rights of Nicaragua and Costa Rica over part of the San Juan River, located in the territory of the former, but whose right bank and certain navigational rights belong to the latter. In its July 13, 2009 Judgment, the International Court of Justice ("ICJ") made a number of specific rulings regarding the scope of Costa Rica's right to free navigation, Nicaragua's power to regulate that right, and Costa Rican riparians' subsistence fishing rights. Aside from its immediate significance for the litigating parties, the Judgment is noteworthy for …

An Open Letter From Heaven To Barack Obama, F. Michael Higginbotham

All Faculty Scholarship

Since the passing of A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. in 1998, many have wondered what the award winning author, longest-serving black federal judge, first black to head a federal regulatory agency, recipient of the Spingarn Medal and the Congressional Medal of Freedom, and author of the famous “Open Letter to Clarence Thomas” would think of the state of race relations today. Appointed to the Federal Trade Commission in 1962, Higginbotham served in several powerful federal positions including Vice-Chairman of the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, member of the first wiretap surveillance court, and chief judge of a …

The Disabled Lawyers Have Arrived; Have They Been Welcomed With Open Arms Into The Profession? An Empirical Study Of The Disabled Lawyer, Donald H. Stone

All Faculty Scholarship

This Article proceeds in seven parts. Part I briefly outlines the ADA's position on reasonable accommodations. Part II addresses how law firms are reacting and responding to the fact that they employ lawyers with mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder, attorneys with learning disabilities, and individuals with alcohol or drug addiction. What disabilities are most often represented? Are lawyers with disabilities apt to receive work modifications to accommodate their disability? Are attorneys with mental illness provided with less stressful case assignments? Are lawyers with substance use disorders and alcohol or drug addiction assigned co-counsel to monitor or offer …

Eutrophication And The Macroscope, Scott W. Nixon

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

It is important to view eutrophication as an increase in the supply of organic matter to an ecosystem rather than as a simple problem of nutrient pollution. This emphasizes that eutrophication is a fundamental change in the energetic base that may propagate through the system in various ways and produce a variety of changes. Some of these changes may be desirable (e.g., increased secondary production) and some may not (e.g., hypoxia). Defining eutrophication in terms of changing nutrient concentrations or chlorophyll levels or species composition confuses symptoms with the underlying phenomenon. While nutrient enrichment is the most common cause of …

Nvods And The Development Of Opendap, Peter C. Cornillon, Jennifer Adams, M. Benno Blumenthal, Eric Chassignet, Ethan Davis, Steve Hankin, James Kinter, Roy Mendelssohn, James T. Potemra, Ashwanth Srinivasan, Joseph Sirott

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) funded a project to develop the foundation for a National Virtual Ocean Data System (NVODS) that has resulted in a robust data access framework for the exchange of oceanographic data (the Open source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol, or OPeNDAP) and a broad community of ocean data providers that remains vigorous and growing five years after NOPP funding ended. The project produced a number of “lessons learned” related to the design and implementation of distributed data systems that can inform other related efforts. These lessons are presented along with a brief overview …

Integrated Ecosystem Assessments: Developing The Scientific Basis For Ecosystem-Based Management Of The Ocean, Phillip S. Levin, Michael J. Fogarty, Steven A. Murawski, David Fluharty

Marine Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Community, Conversation, And Conflict: A Study Of Deliberation And Moderation In A Collaborative Political Weblog, Samantha Isabella Soma

Dissertations and Theses

Concerns about the feasibility of the Internet as an appropriate venue for deliberation have emerged based on the adverse effects of depersonalization, anonymity, and lack of accountability on the part of online discussants. As in face-to-face communication, participants in online conversations are best situated to determine for themselves what type of communication is appropriate. Earlier research on Usenet groups was not optimistic, but community-administered moderation may provide a valuable tool for online political discussion groups who wish to support and enforce deliberative communication among a diverse or disagreeing membership.

This research examines individual comments and their rating and moderation within …

Memory And Metamemory In Patients With Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Charlotte Emma Howard

School of Psychology Theses

It is well established that patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) commonly report memory difficulties. The aim of this thesis was to use a novel approach adopting Nelson & Narens' (1990) theoretical framework to investigate whether metacognitive knowledge and memory performance were differentially disrupted in patients with TLE. More specifically, investigating to what extent poor memory in TLE could result from inadequate metamemory monitoring, inadequate metamemory control or both. Experiment I employed a combined Judgement-of-Learning and Feeling-of-Knowing task to investigate whether participants could monitor their memory successfully at both the item-by-item and global levels. The results revealed a dissociation between …

Can Health Visitors Assist Clients To Optimise Health-Determining Aspects Of The Indoor Environment Through Provision Of Evidence-Informed Messages?, George Richardson

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The aim of the research was to investigate the acceptability and feasibility of health visitors working with their clients to assess health-determining aspects of their clients' home environments and to provide evidence-informed messages about the indoor environment. The research was conducted within a Soft Systems Methodology framework. Following a pilot study in 2003, a proof of concept, feasibility study was implemented (2004 to 2007) with a convenience sample of eight health visitors conducting 29 environmental assessments in clients' homes, using a dedicated, cost effective tool kit. The health visitors were trained to monitor and provide evidence-based messages on Indoor environmental …

Exploring The Provision Of High Dependency Care In Children's Wards, Margaret Jane Doman

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Aim The aim of this qualitative research study was to explore the provision of high dependency care in children's wards in SW England and to identify and evaluate individual and organisational factors influencing this care. Background Concerns about paediatric intensive care have been reported, leading to the implementation of many changes in practice. High dependency care, which is usually provided on children's wards, is included in the organisational framework for critical care, but has received far less attention. Definitions and recommendations lack clarity, which could lead to difficulties in determining the most appropriate environment, staffing and equipment for care provision. …

Distribution Of Elateridae And Tipulidae Pest Species In An Agricultural Landscape, Helen Mary Hicks

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Wireworms and leatherjackets, the larvae of click beetles (Agriotes spp) and crane flies (Tipula spp) respectively, are subterranean pests of grass, cereals and vegetables and are present throughout the UK and Europe. Soil cores, pheromone traps and water traps were used to measure populations. The populations of larvae were compared to those of adults. Leatherjackets and crane flies were found to be correlated, as were A. obscurus click beetle and wireworm populations. Annual variation in trap catches was observed. Populations were related at a number of spatial scales to cultural, physical and chemical variables. Spatial structure of populations was identified …

Characterisation And Molecular Typing Of Clinical And Environmental Isolates Of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Aklak Miah

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a natural inhabitant of coastal waters worldwide and is the leading cause of seafood-borne gastroenteritis. This study reports on the use of several molecular characterisation methods to screen clinical and environmental isolates of V parahaemolyticus to assess whether such techniques can be used to distinguish pathogenic isolates reliably. In a total of 86 isolates mainly of V parahaemolyticus but also including V cholerae, V vulnificus and several other species, serotypes of the more virulent clonal group 03:K6 were identified, but otherwise there appeared no association with serotype and phenotype. The tdh and trh genes encoding haemolysins that …

The Effectiveness Of Privately Managed Marine Reserves In Sustaining Nearshore Fisheries In The Tropical Coastal Zone, Bjorn Patrik Mikael Svensson

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

There is an emergent need to increase protection of nearshore resources from a growing human population, which is deteriorating coral reef ecosystems through coastal development, overfishing and destructive fishing practices. A possible solution involves increasing the number of smaller Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), creating a network of reserves with greater fisheries potential, while locally remaining small enough not to overly impinge on fishers available fishing grounds. Coral reefs are often found in developing countries, where governments financially struggle to establish successfully managed MPAs. A growing number of Hotel Managed Marine Reserves (HMMRs) have partly therefore, recently been established. Hotels arguably …

Ict Access And Use In The Remote Rural Town Of Hatherleigh (Devon, Uk): Towards Citizen Engagement?, Afraa Jalal Sallowm

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Information communication technologies (ICTs) have reached into everyday life. This emphasises the increasing importance of understanding the relationship between ICTs and society (Giddens 1994; Castells 1996; Walsham 2001). Over the last few decades, ICTs have shaped many aspects of society, and the specific role that ICTs have played in influencing government and governance structures has received particular attention. Today, the term 'governance' is widely used and accepted amongst a variety of academics and practitioners. However, in recent years the processes by which rural areas are governed have changed remarkably. Many scholars accept the conceptual and theoretical debate concerning the actual …

Development Of Fermented Fish Silage Derived From Pelagic Sardine And Apple Pomace By-Product For Inclusion In Diets For The European Seabass (Dicentrarchus Labrax), Siddiq Milad El-Ajnaf

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The ensilage of fish and fisheries derived by-products as alternative ingredients to fish meal in diets for aquaculture may be an effective strategy to reduce feed and production costs of farmed marine fish. In this context, the production of fish silage by means of the fermentation of whole sardine (Sardina pilchardus) using Lactobacillus plantarum starter culture together with apple pomace co-product as the principle carbohydrate source was developed. Apple pomace is an important co-product from the cider industry in the UK and was ideally suited for this purpose. The minimum of total sugars necessary for a successful fermentation was found …

Statistical Techniques For Extreme Wave Condition Analysis In Coastal Design, Paul Thompson

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The study of the behaviour of the extreme values of a variable such as wave height is very important in engineering applications such as flood risk assessment and coastal design. Storm wave modelling usually adopts a univariate extreme value theory approach, essentially identifying the extreme observations of one variable and fitting a standard extreme value distribution to these values. Often it is of interest to understand how extremes of a variable such as wave height depend on a covariate such as wave direction. An important associated concept is that of return level, a value that is expected to be exceeded …

Nitrogen Dynamics In Integrated Agricultural Systems In Central Mexico, Joel Velasco Velasco

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Smallholdings (<5 ha) represent 73% of the total agricultural production systems in Mexico. Many are of low productivity, and little quantitative data has been published on the impact of traditional nitrogen (N) management practices on environmental performance at farm scale. Nitrogen is the most important nutrient for increasing crop yields. While the benefits from the use of N fertilizer are self evident, it has resulted in low efficiency of N utilization and environmental problems. This project aimed to assess N dynamics in Integrated Agricultural Systems (lASs) in central Mexico. Nitrogen inputs, outputs and internal transfers were assessed and the impact of selected management practices on nitrogen flow, productivity and environmental performance were analyzed using nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) indices. A predictive framework tool was developed following whole farm methodologies to quantify N flow, and to assess selected (NUE) indices such as 0/1 ratio, N loss, accumulated N, and the change of N in the soil pool at farm scale. Data used for the development of the predictive framework was derived from experimental evaluations of ammonia emissions during vermicomposting, and integrated with data from the literature, together with data from an integrated agricultural systems prototype in Montecillo Mexico. The main N inputs into integrated agricultural systems in the Texcoco region were estimated to be in the following order of significance: biological N fixation (11 - 532), manure (15 - 225), fertilizer (0 - 140) and rainfall water (30 - 35 kg haˉ¹ aˉ¹). The main N outputs were: N losses (70 - 528 kg haˉ¹ aˉ¹) and exported N in marketable products (72 - 338 kg haˉ¹ aˉ¹). Experimentally derived estimates of ammonia emissions during vermicomposting of sheep manure ranged from 10 - 15 kg Mgˉ¹ DM which corresponded to 42 - 47% of the initial N content in the manure substrate. The impact of current management practices showed 0/1 ratios ranging from 0.30 - 0. 76, N losses ranged from 76 to 210 kg haˉ¹ aˉ¹ and N depletion/ accumulation ranged from -25 - 143 kg haˉ¹ aˉ¹. The effect of selected management practices on 0/1 ratio was as follows: crop sequence > stocking density > livestock type > manure management. Whereas for N loss it was stocking density > livestock type > manure management > crop sequence. Higher productivity together with a more benign environmental impact could be attained in smallholder by implementing simple recommended manure management practices at farm scale.

Selection Of A Chicken Lactobacillus Strain With Probiotic Properties And Its Application In Poultry Production, Soumela Sawidou

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

One hundred and eleven lactic acid bacteria, of chicken origin, were tested for possible probiotic properties. One organism, Lactobacillus salivarius Salivarius NCIMB 41606 {Lact. "Salivarius) showed rapid autoaggregation ability, maximum co-aggregation ability with enteropathogens, tolerance to acidic pH and bile salts of the chicken Gl-tract, very good antagonistic activity against several enteropathogens and good adhesive capacity to chicken epithelial cells. It was also found to survive in water for 24h and produce fermented feed, of low pH (150 mmol L-1 lactic acid after 24h fermentation at 30°C. This organism was selected as a candidate that could be used in vivo …

Marine Pollution And Echinoderms: A Biomarker Study Integrating Different Levels Of Biological Organisation, Martin Neil Canty

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

There is growing concern that the invertebrate lest organisms commonly employed in the field of aquatic ecotoxicology may not be sufficient to accurately screen for the possible deleterious effects of contaminants discharged into the marine environment. The use of echinoderms has been proposed to redress this problem, due to their ecological importance and their evolutionary closeness to the chordates. But to date, there is a paucity of data in the published literature which has utilised the adult stages of echinoderms in laboratory based toxicology studies. The present studies aimed to fill this lack of information. A suite of biomarkers which …

'Making Whoopee'? : An Exploration Of Understandings And Responses Around Women's Alcohol Use, Patricia Staddon

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

In this thesis, I explore the different meanings women's drinking may have for them, and the ways in which these may differ from those of the public, the medical profession, and alcohol treatment providers. I consider the sociological factors involved, such as marginalisation by medical diagnosis as a method of social control, involving particularly the disempowerment of women (Ettorre 1997). I challenge conventional views of 'alcoholism' as a 'relapsing condition' .(Szumlinski et al. 2008 p.24) and present an alternative, competing discourse. This recognises how women's social dissonance may be both response and resistance to gendered constraints, drawing upon understandings of …

Time Well Spent: Modelling Education And Service Activities Of Junior Doctors Under The European Working Time Directive, Sonja Anna Derrick

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

A number of professional groups face the conflict of providing a service to their organisation as a whole, and wider to its clients, while continuing to develop their skills and knowledge professionally, in order to be able to perform effectively in their current role as well as future ones, within a certain amount of time available to them. The introduction of reduced-hours legislation under the European Working Time Directive for junior doctors has posed an organisational problem for NHS Trusts in the UK, who need to reconcile the training and service needs of the profession and the service within the …

Non-Governmental Organizations And Hiv/Aids In Kolkata, India: A Discursive Analysis Of Policy And Programming, Elizabeth Grace Williams

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis presents the findings from a study that explores the language and discourses of HIV/AIDS in India circulating at different levels of the policy process during the early years of the pandemic, with a particular focus upon the work of NGOs in Kolkata, West Bengal. The study was exploratory and used Walt and Gilson's (1994) analytic framework of content, context, actors and process to guide data collection. Eleven NGOs were identified for case studies using a snowballing technique. The research design used multiple methods of data collection including semi-structured interviews, informal interviews, participant observation, the keeping of a research …

Psychosocial Aspects Of Deafness: Implications For Rehabilitation Counselors, Diana M. Fraser, Sandra Hansmann, Shawn P. Saladin

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Negative societal attitudes toward people with hearing loss can be handicapping. Because of their deafness, people face a multitude of external barriers which become their handicap. The primary barriers or handicaps to this underserved population are two fold, inaccessibility to appropriate services during important milestones in their lives and a misunderstanding of Deaf culture. Rehabilitation counselors are advised to become aware of the types of interventions their Deaf consumers had as children through their education and socialization for in sight to appropriate services. Also discussed is the importance of communication and employer involvement in reducing societal stereotypes.