Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Increased Sediment Exposure On Suspension-Feeder Assemblages In A Temperate Seagrass Meadow, Pierre Bouvais

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The impact of increased sediment exposure on coastal marine ecosystems is one of the most important contemporary environmental issues. Sediment exposure is defined as the concentrations of sediment particles suspended in the water column and the amount of sediment depositing on the seabed. In addition to natural events, such as land erosion, rainfall, and tidal currents, anthropogenic activities such as land use, road building, logging, mining, port maintenance and dredging, contribute to the discharge of a great amount of sediment in the water column. As sessile suspension-feeder assemblages play a critical role in marine ecosystems through their active transfers of …

Assessment Of Competitive Requirements, Repeated Sprint Paddle Ability And Trainability Of Paddling Performance In Surfers, Oliver Farley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Studies examining the physical demands of surfing, the physiological characteristics of surfers, training techniques and various indices important to surfing performance are limited and characterised by methodological discrepancies. This thesis consists of five studies to assess the competitive requirements, test specific repeat sprint fitness and the trainability of sprint paddling in surfers.

Initially an understanding of surfing movement patterns and a determination of the reliability and validity of custom-made GPS units was established (SurfTraX, Gold Coast, Australia) (Study 1: The validity and inter-unit reliability of custom-made SurfTraX GPS units and use during surfing). Durations, intensities, external loads and velocity …

Training Adaptations In Lower-Body Muscle Structure And Physical Performance Capacities Of Competitive Surfing Athletes, Josh Secomb

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The overall aim of this thesis was to increase strength and conditioning coaches, and sport scientists’ understanding of the lower-body muscle structures related to enhanced lower-body physical capacities, and how to best evoke desirable training-specific adaptations. To address this aim, three successive steps of research were evaluated: (1) analysis of the factors related to increased performance in competitive surfing, (2) relationships between lower-body muscle structures and factors associated with enhanced physical performance, and (3) comparison of the training-specific adaptations evoked from various training methods. Whilst this research specifically focused on competitive surfing athletes, these results may benefit the training practices …

Perceptions Of Stalking: The Influence Of Perpetrator Mental Disorder Diagnosis, Target-Perpetrator Gender, And Perpetrator Persistence, Ebonnie Landwehr

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Stalking is a complex phenomenon that results in significant harm to victims. For this reason, it is vital that knowledge and understanding of the behaviour be continually advanced. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of perpetrator mental disorder diagnosis, target-perpetrator gender, and persistence on perceptions of stalking. Although psychiatric diagnoses are prevalent among clinical stalker populations, little is known about how the presence of a perpetrator mental disorder may influence perceptions of stalking. Both target-perpetrator gender and persistence have been found to have an effect on perceptions of stalking, however it is not understood if …

Practising Jazz Performance: An Investigation Into The Process That Underpins Optimal Instrumental Practice In The Jazz Idiom, Christopher J. Tarr

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Little formal research has been undertaken into the processes associated with jazz improvisation, particularly those associated with practising to become an elite jazz improviser. This study seeks to understand the role of instrumental practice, particularly physical practice strategies and the associated mental states, in the development of jazz improvisers. Interviews were conducted with six improvisers of various ages, instruments and backgrounds. The study identified a number of strategies specific to jazz practice that differed from traditional practice strategies described in Western art literature, particularly in relation to the importance of the ear-to-instrument connection. Accordingly, the study sets out a series …

Measuring The Quality And Identifying Influencing Factors Of Sustainability Reporting: Evidence From The Resources Industry In Australia, Siew Hoon Ong

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The lack of a standardised reporting framework in sustainability reporting has resulted in companies producing unaudited generic sustainability information that are not reflective of companies’ actual sustainability performance. The disclosures also differ in quality and hinder comparison. This study addresses these problems with the development of a new scoring index that integrates the hard and soft principles in Clarkson, Li, Richardson and Vasvari’s (2008) environmental index with performance indicators of the Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) framework. The newly developed index comprises all three aspects of sustainability (economic, environmental and social) and adopts a standardised scoring scale that is reflective of …

Muscle Damage And The Repeated Bout Effect In Male Bodybuilders Following Unaccustomed Resistance Exercise, Kennedy Blowfield

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigated muscle damage of bodybuilders who performed an unaccustomed intense resistive exercise bout. Ten male bodybuilders (age: 23 ± 2 y, height: 177.6 ± 6.3 cm, body mass: 85.7 ± 8.1 kg) with a minimum of 4-years resistance training experience performed 17 exercises targeting the pectoral muscles. Eight of the 10 bodybuilders repeated the same exercises two weeks later. Muscle function (bench press throw, maximal isokinetic elbow extension and flexion concentric torque: MVC torque), muscle soreness using a visual analogue scale (VAS: 100-mm), and plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity were assessed before, immediately after and 24, 48 and …

Deflector Effects In Fixed Bed (Biomass) Combustors And Non-Combusting Packed Beds, Babak Rashidian

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Combustion can be used to thermally process biomass fuels and yield both heat and power in a sustainable manner. At present, direct combustion of solid biomass is the primary approach for generating electricity and heat when these fuels are used at a commercial scale.

Deflectors have been used in the freeboard section of industrial combustors to reduce radiant heat loss through flue gases and for particle emissions abatement. Freeboard deflectors can also influence emissions and freeboard temperature distributions by changing the flow dynamics. Despite much research into laboratory scale biomass combustion and packed beds, there have been no systematic studies …

Impacts Of Artisanal And Large Scale Gold Mining On Tropical Rivers In West Africa: A Case Study From The Brong Ahafo Region Of Ghana, Karunia F. Macdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Mining communities in more than 70 developing countries, mostly in the tropical regions, still practise artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM). ASGM commonly operates along rivers and streams for easy access to process water and as receptacles for mine water discharges. A largely unregulated industry, ASGM employs rudimentary mining and processing methods including the use of mercury amalgamation, and is often found near to larger scale and modern mining (LSM) operations.

The substantial use of mercury by ASGM has drawn the attention of agencies and researchers but so has its persistent economic role in providing much needed rural employment. …

A Digital Resource For Navigating Extended Techniques On Bass Clarinet, Philip Everall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Extended techniques are integral to the creation and interpretation of works for the bass clarinet. Effects such as multiphonics, microtones, or percussive and air sounds, have become commonplace in repertoire from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This PhD dissertation posits that the bass clarinet’s affinity for these sounds can be traced back to the instrument’s earliest uses, and thus extended techniques should be central to the understanding of the bass clarinet. While there is a large knowledge-base of these techniques, the paradigm of print resources with accompanying music media in which it is catalogued is old-fashioned and inefficient. This project …

Identifying Plant Functional Traits To Assist Ecological Intervention In A Drying Landscape, Ana Luiza Muler

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) are among the most vulnerable to land use and climate change and many attempts are in place to restore these ecosystems. Therefore, it is necessary to assess differences in plants’ ability to withstand water-stress, including biotic interactions. Such knowledge helps us understand community assembly, which is crucial for ecological intervention. This study involved: (1) reviewing the literature on traits that can differentiate functional types; (2) adapting the methodology to measure leaf water potential at turgor loss point (πtlp) for small-leaved species; (3) using these traits to quickly identify water-use strategies of adult …

Accuracy In The Badminton Short Serve: A Methodological And Kinematic Study, Shayne Marc Vial

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In sports, accuracy is an essential component of actions such passing, shooting, and aiming. Executing a movement or action that requires a high degree of accuracy is a critical determinant of success in many individual and team sports. Each sport has different methods for evaluating accuracy, however an overarching goal is to determine whether an object hits its target, or assess the distance by which it misses. However, in some sports accuracy is not readily measureable because an object might not reach a target, i.e. the object is intercepted, or it collides with another object or a person, or an …

A Multinational Cross-Sectional Survey Of The Management Of Patient Medication Adherence By European Healthcare Professionals, W Clyne, C Mshelia, S Mclachlan, P Jones, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

Objectives To examine which interventions healthcare professionals use to support patients with taking medicines and their perceptions about the effectiveness of those actions. Design Cross-sectional multinational study. Setting Online survey in Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland. Participants A total of 3196 healthcare professionals comprising doctors (855), nurses (1047) and pharmacists (1294) currently registered and practising in primary care and community settings. Main outcome measures Primary outcome: Responses to the question ‘I ask patients if they have missed any doses of their medication’ for each profession and in each country. Secondary outcome: Responses to …

Assessing Walking Posture With Geometric Morphometrics: Effects Of Rearing Environment In Pigs, C Tallet, E Sénèque, C Mégnin, S Morisset, Et Al

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Rearing social animals like pigs in isolation from conspecifics can have consequences on behaviour and physiology. The aim of this experiment was to determine whether rearing conditions affect body posture. We adapted a method for quantitative evaluation of posture based on geometric morphometrics, developed in horses, for pigs and applied it in different conditions. Forty-eight 75-day-old females were reared either alone in 2.25 m2 pens (IH, N = 24 animals and 4 groups) or in groups of four in 4.64 m2 pens (GH, N = 24) for two weeks. They were habituated to human handling (stroking, speaking) and marking on …

Postpartum Regression Of A Presumed Cavernous Meningioma, See Yung Phang, Peter Whitfield

Peninsula Medical School

Meningiomas are known to be more common in females than males. They are also known in rare cases to grow in size during pregnancy, which can complicate its management. We describe a 31-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with blurring of her vision and diplopia during the third trimester of her pregnancy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a small left cavernous sinus meningioma. The patient was treated conservatively until her uncomplicated delivery. A postpartum MRI scan showed complete regression of the suspected meningioma. Currently the patient is contemplating a further pregnancy.

Improving The Visibility Of Energy Use In Home Heating In England: Thermal Images And The Role Of Visual Tailoring, Christine Boomsma, Julie Goodhew, Steve Goodhew, Sabine Pahl

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This study examined the use of thermal imaging as a communication tool that allows householders to 'see' where a building is losing heat. We tested the effect of tailored and non-tailored thermal images on energy beliefs, behavioural intentions and a simple self-report behaviour question in an English field study. Householders received tailored thermal images of their home, thermal images of other homes with typical problems for the area ('non-tailored'), or information on the same typical problems in text format. A post-intervention survey (N = 233) indicated that showing occupants any thermal image (tailored or non-tailored) led to higher vividness when …

Integrated Terrestrial And Marine Planning In England’S Coastal Inter-Tidal Zone: Assessing The Operational Effectiveness Of The Coastal Concordat, Jonathan Turner, Stephen Essex

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Atomic Spectrometry Update: Review Of Advances In Elemental Speciation, Robert Clough, Chris F. Harrington, Steve J. Hill, Yolanda Madrid, Julian F. Tyson

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This review covers advances in elemental speciation by a range of coupled techniques, including HPLC-ICP-MS, HPLC-HG-AFS and GC-ICP-MS.

Strategic Management And Its Impact On University’S Service Quality: The Role Of Organisational Commitment, Omaima Munawar Albadry

Plymouth Business School Theses

The higher education sector in developing countries is currently facing several challenges generated by a dynamic environment and characterised by rapid technological change and increased demand. This thesis aims to examine the direct and indirect associations between the components of the strategic management, as well as its impact on service quality of university institutions within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, this thesis tests a mediation effect regarding organisational commitment within the relationship between strategic management and service quality. This thesis employs a quantitative method, and a theoretical model is built based on thorough literature reviews concerning strategic management and …

Achieving Cost And Carbon Savings In Neonatal Practice: A Review Of The Literature On Sustainable Waste Management, A Nichols, J Grose, R Mukonoweshuro

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing The Sustainability Of Volunteer Peer Support For Breast-Feeding Mothers Within A Hospital Environment: An Exploratory Qualitative Study, Heather Hopper, Heather Skirton

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Test–Retest Stability Of Patient Experience Items Derived From The National Gp Patient Survey, Antoinette F. Davey, Martin J. Roberts, Luke Mounce, Inocencio Maramba, John L. Campbell

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Using Concatenation Cost For Unit Selection Of Homosonic Segments In Concatenative Sound Synthesis, Noris Mohd Norowi, Mas Rina Mustaffa, Eduardo Reck Miranda

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This paper studies the issues surrounding the search and selection process in a general CSS system which may affect the synthesis result, namely the homosonic segments. Homosonic segments are first termed in this study, where it refers to audio files which have one or more of the same sonic properties with each other, but do not sound the same acoustically when played due to the limited audio features extracted during the analysis process. These homosonic segments create confusions within the CSS selection engine. This study proposes a robust solution to overcome this issue by introducing the concatenation cost in addition …

New Belgrade After 1999: Spatial Violence As De-Socialisation, De-Romanisation, And De-Historisation, N Bobic

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Oil In Economic Development -The Case Of Libya (1970-2010)., Ali Hassan Elwerfelli

Plymouth Business School Theses

Abstract The objectives of this thesis are to: (1) examine if the resource curse exists in the context of Libya; (2) assess the role of institutions in avoiding or minimising the resource curse, and; (3) evaluate institutional and economic reforms required, and the best options to diversify the economy from oil, hence avoid the resource curse in Libya. To achieve these, three approaches are applied, (i) a three country comparative analysis; (ii) Libya country-level time-series analysis, and; (iii) institutional descriptive analysis. This thesis uses time-series data and annual datasets covering 1970-2010. Johansen’s co-integration is used to establish the long-run equilibrium …

The Impact Of Organisational Context On Innovation In Libyan’S Public And Private Oil Sectors: The Role Of Social Capital And Knowledge Sharing., Ibrahem Alhaj

Plymouth Business School Theses

It has been recognised that the oil sector in developing countries is facing challenges from a dynamic environment characterised by rapid technological change and increased demand. As innovation becomes critical to the survival of organisations, organisational context including organisational culture (OC), structure (OS) and information technology (IT) has been found to have an important influence on innovation, leading to increase social relationships among employees and flow knowledge within organisation through face to face employees interaction and information system. Social capital and knowledge sharing are recognised as the most significant resources for competitive advantage and the key to enhancing innovation. It …

An Econometric Analysis Of Oil/Non-Oil Sectors And Economic Growth In The Gcc: Evidence From Saudi Arabia And The Uae, Ahmed Ali S Alodadi

Plymouth Business School Theses

As a depletable resource oil is a useful source of economic growth, but may not be relied upon for long-term sustainable development. Diversification from oil is needed to achieve this. This research applies three models to examine the most important determinants of oil and non-oil sector economic growth in two of the largest economies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The empirical analysis applies the Johansen approach and ECM to access the relationship between all variables, both in the long and short-term. Given the governments’ determination to reduce dependence on oil income, this study …

Sibrandus Lubbertus (1555-1625) And Reformed Polemics On Authority In The Church., Dave Holmlund

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Sibrandus Lubbertus (1555-1625) was a German born Reformed theologian who spent most of his life teaching at the University of Franeker in Friesland, a northern region of the Netherlands. Among his publications, the most significant in size and importance were his disputational works, which used a polemical form to address controversial issues of the post-Reformation period in which he gave a robust defense of the Reformed position over and against the most influential voices of his day, whether they themselves were a more heterodox expression of Protestant theology or simply Roman Catholic. This dissertation examines the major treatises of Lubbertus, …

Paul Helm's "Compatibilist" View Of Divine Providence In Light Of The Frankfurtian Debate., Simon Sang-Kyun Ko

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

It is easy to find in prominent scholarly opinion today that to maintain its comprehensive divine determinism the Reformed Christian tradition must endorse metaphysical compatibilism to affirm some semblance of creaturely freedom. Arguably, one of the two Reformed scholars who have promulgated this idea the most is Paul Helm. Interestingly, while Helm’s “no-risk” view of divine providence started off with pretty straightforward classical compatibilism, it has since morphed into what is akin to source incompatibilism. At the heart of this transformation is Helm’s increasing interest in the feasibility of “irreducible agency, despite the fixity of the future” (or to use …

Theologia Viatorum: Institutional Continuity And The Reception Of A Theological Framework From Franciscus Junius's De Theologia Vera To Bernhardinus De Moor's Commentarius Perpetuus, Todd M. Rester

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Some scholars have identified a certain amount of vagueness in continuity theses of scholarship regarding medieval, Reformation, and post-Reformation thought. A criterion of continuity is necessary in order to prosecute a continuity thesis. One way to root intellectual history within a particular social context over time is to examine a conceptual framework as it develops, changes, and even declines within an academic institution like an early modern university. Institutional continuity is a methodological approach that seeks to clarify the relationship between continuity, influence, confessionalization and deconfessionalization diachronically within an institutional context of an early modern university. The test case for …