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2016

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Dose-Banding Studies On Oxaliplatin, Liu Xiaoqing Jan 2016

Dose-Banding Studies On Oxaliplatin, Liu Xiaoqing

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Oxaliplatin is an anticancer drug widely used in cancer chemotherapy. This thesis evaluates whether a specific dose-banding scheme for oxaliplatin could replace the individual dosing method that is currently used in the oxaliplatin administration. Dose-banding was introduced into UK clinical practice in 2001, as it reduces delays in patients receiving their treatment and, through quality control and end-product testing, safeguards the infusion quality and patient safety. A range of studies were included in this thesis: an extended stability study on oxaliplatin infusions using a sequential temperature cycling design; studies on oxalate, a potential degradation product and metabolite of oxaliplatin which …


The Restorative Potential Of Public Aquariums: Psychological And Physiological Effects Of Viewing Sub-Aquatic Environments, Deborah Louise Cracknell Jan 2016

The Restorative Potential Of Public Aquariums: Psychological And Physiological Effects Of Viewing Sub-Aquatic Environments, Deborah Louise Cracknell

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The role of natural environments, especially ‘green space’, in promoting human health and well-being is well-researched. However, less is known about the benefits of ‘blue space’ (e.g. the coast) or ‘managed’ nature (e.g. zoos). In this thesis, six studies investigated the restorative potential of sub-aquatic settings, specifically public aquariums and the biological diversity within them. Studies 1 and 2 investigated preferences for, affective responses to, and the restorative potential of, five built and natural settings (i.e. built, green space, blue space, natural underwater and public aquariums). Using the same measures, Study 3 focused solely on people’s responses to aquarium exhibits, …


An Exploration Of Attachment Strategies Among Young People Who Engage In Harmful Sexual Behaviour, Bartosz Zaniewski Jan 2016

An Exploration Of Attachment Strategies Among Young People Who Engage In Harmful Sexual Behaviour, Bartosz Zaniewski

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Background: It is estimated that adolescent offenders account for 65% of contact child sexual abuse. A range of explanatory theories and models of intervention have been proposed. These are mainly based on cognitive theories with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and psycho-education remaining as the dominant models of treatment intervention. This research explored the issue of harmful sexual behaviour from the psychosocial perspective, drawing on attachment theory and social constructionism. Aim: The research explored attachment strategies among young people with harmful sexual behaviour. It examined young people’s understanding and explanations regarding their sexually abusive behaviour. This included an exploration of how …


A Retro-Projected Robotic Head For Social Human-Robot Interaction, Frédéric C. Delaunay Jan 2016

A Retro-Projected Robotic Head For Social Human-Robot Interaction, Frédéric C. Delaunay

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

As people respond strongly to faces and facial features, both consciously and subconsciously, faces are an essential aspect of social robots. Robotic faces and heads until recently belonged to one of the following categories: virtual, mechatronic or animatronic. As an original contribution to the field of human-robot interaction, I present the R-PAF technology (Retro-Projected Animated Faces): a novel robotic head displaying a real-time, computer-rendered face, retro-projected from within the head volume onto a mask, as well as its driving soft-ware designed with openness and portability to other hybrid robotic platforms in mind.The work constitutes the first implementation of a non-planar …


A Framework To Support Developers In The Integration And Application Of Linked And Open Data, Timm Heuss Jan 2016

A Framework To Support Developers In The Integration And Application Of Linked And Open Data, Timm Heuss

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

In the last years, the number of freely available Linked and Open Data datasets has multiplied into tens of thousands. The numbers of applications taking advantage of it, however, have not. Thus, large portions of potentially valuable data remain unexploited and are inaccessible for lay users. Therefore the upfront investment in releasing data in the first place is hard to justify. The lack of applications needs to be addressed in order not to undermine efforts put into Linked and Open Data. In existing research, strong indicators can be found that the dearth of applications is due to a lack of …


Evaluating The Impacts Of Integrating Fisheries And Conservation Management, Sarah Gall Jan 2016

Evaluating The Impacts Of Integrating Fisheries And Conservation Management, Sarah Gall

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Historically, the governance streams of fisheries and conservation management have run separately to one another, with little attempt at integration despite their similar goals. Efforts to integrate the two have increased as a result of their similarities and the potential benefits that may arise, but a requirement for additional research was identified to determine the effectiveness of this approach. This thesis therefore took an interdisciplinary approach, seeking to combine knowledge and methods from ecological, social and economic disciplines to provide a holistic evaluation of the potential for success. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) were chosen as a management tool to evaluate …


Tommy Atkins, War Office Reform And The Social And Cultural Presence Of The Late-Victorian Army In Britain, C.1868-1899, Edward Peter Joshua Gosling Jan 2016

Tommy Atkins, War Office Reform And The Social And Cultural Presence Of The Late-Victorian Army In Britain, C.1868-1899, Edward Peter Joshua Gosling

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis examines the development of the soldier in late-Victorian Britain in light of the movement to rehabilitate the public image of the ordinary ranks initiated by the Cardwell-Childers Reforms. Venerated in popular culture, Tommy Atkins became a symbol of British imperial strength and heroism. Socially, however, attitudes to the rank-and-file were defined by a pragmatic realism purged of such sentiments, the likes of which would characterise the British public’s relationship with their army for over thirty years. Scholars of both imperial culture and the Victorian military have identified this dual persona of Tommy Atkins, however, a dedicated study into …


Immigration Policy And The Role Of Political Discourses In The Relationship Between Foreign Nationals And Crime In England And Wales, Khamael Hasan Naji Al-Faris Jan 2016

Immigration Policy And The Role Of Political Discourses In The Relationship Between Foreign Nationals And Crime In England And Wales, Khamael Hasan Naji Al-Faris

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Significant criminological attention has been given to the relationship between immigration and crime. However, this relationship has not been researched in the UK to any great extent, and consequently the information on the UK context is limited. This research investigates how the criminality of foreign nationals have been constructed by examining the nature of immigration policy, foreign criminality discourses, and the media in the UK to understand how crime in particular has been used to define, refine, and inform control of immigrants. This study refers to the legislative, policy, and political factors that underpin this process, and particularly explains how …


Doing Community Safety By Locality Working: Regime Theory And Micro-Climates Of Crime And Disorder Co-Governance, Neil Chappell Jan 2016

Doing Community Safety By Locality Working: Regime Theory And Micro-Climates Of Crime And Disorder Co-Governance, Neil Chappell

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

The co-governance of crime and disorder and the involvement of the public within quasi-deliberative consultations of participatory forums to this end has been the subject of significant bodies of research (Clarke et al, 2007, Barnes, Newman and Sullivan: 2007). Such forums were applied to the micro-level of the neighbourhood during New Labour’s tenure in office in an attempt to reduce crime and disorder and to improve the responsiveness of service delivery. This has created situations whereby the governance of communities has been shifted to the micro-level of the neighbourhood (Stoker: 2004). Hughes and Edwards (2005) have proposed examining these micro-climates …


An Investigation Into The Effects Of Nhs Reforms On Physiotherapy And Its Management Structures In England And Wales, Fiona Jenkins Jan 2016

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Nhs Reforms On Physiotherapy And Its Management Structures In England And Wales, Fiona Jenkins

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Background. A constantly changing reform agenda has frequently changed NHS management arrangements. Impacts are documented for medicine and nursing but much less so for the third largest profession, physiotherapy. Aims. To evaluate the impact of NHS reforms on physiotherapy analysing whether the resulting management structures impacted on staff and patient care; comparing English and Welsh arrangements with previous periods. Method. Observational mixed methods including a narrative literature review; questionnaire census; semi-structured interviews; physiotherapy narrative history; and a normative evaluation of physiotherapy management structures. Results. NHS reforms had impacted on the structure of physiotherapy management and organisation. Of the eight management …


Social Exclusion, Resort Decline And The English Seaside, Steven Jakes Jan 2016

Social Exclusion, Resort Decline And The English Seaside, Steven Jakes

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Traditionally seaside resorts have been one of the least understood of Britain’s ‘problem areas’. This thesis breaks new ground by reporting on an exploratory data analysis to probe the influence of resort decline on social exclusion in England’s seaside resorts. Drawing on a wide range of socio-economic datasets and quantitative methods of data analysis and GIS software, the study investigates the scale, nature and extent of multiple deprivation in English seaside resorts, differences in socio-economic structure between deprived and non-deprived resorts and the factors that may explain these differences, and the nature and incidence of localised problem complexes. A combination …


Reciprocal Technologies: Enabling The Reciprocal Exchange Of Voice In Small-Scale Farming Communities Through The Transformation Of Information And Communications Technologies, Eugenio Tisselli Jan 2016

Reciprocal Technologies: Enabling The Reciprocal Exchange Of Voice In Small-Scale Farming Communities Through The Transformation Of Information And Communications Technologies, Eugenio Tisselli

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This dissertation claims that the reciprocal exchange of voice—an element for constructing community and strengthening political recognition—may be fostered in small-scale farming communities by (1) the appropriation and transformation of information and communications technologies, (2) artistic intervention, and (3) cross-community research. This study contributes to participatory research methodologies, particularly those that seek to tackle the diverse challenges faced by small-scale farmers from a broad, complex perspective. The main issue identified in this dissertation is as follows: The hegemony of economic behaviors, which stands as a cornerstone of neoliberal capitalism, constitutes the latest stage of a historical process in which the …


Development Of Recognition Memory: Process Dissociation Of Recollection And Familiarity In Children, Laura Koenig Jan 2016

Development Of Recognition Memory: Process Dissociation Of Recollection And Familiarity In Children, Laura Koenig

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

There is an extensive debate in the adult literature on whether recognition memory can better be explained by a single- or a dual-process account. Single-process accounts assume that a single memory strength signal underlies recognition. Dual-process accounts propose two independent processes, namely recollection (slow and associated with contextual details) and familiarity (fast and automatic). The aim of this dissertation was to advance this debate using a cognitive developmental approach. By investigating age-related changes of recognition memory across childhood as a function of theoretically motivated experimental manipulations, predictions drawn from single- and dual-process models of recognition memory were tested. We adapted …


The Use Of Feedback In Group Counseling In A State Vocational Rehabilitation Setting, Saara Grizzell, Julie Smart, Michael J. Lambert, Jamison Fargo Jan 2016

The Use Of Feedback In Group Counseling In A State Vocational Rehabilitation Setting, Saara Grizzell, Julie Smart, Michael J. Lambert, Jamison Fargo

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

This study examined the impact of providing progress feedback to individuals with disabilities receiving services at a state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency. Thirty individuals were randomly assigned to receive either group therapy (treatment-as-usual, TAU) or group therapy plus feedback (treatment, Fb) during a 10-week counseling program at one of five agency offices. Each week, participants attended a 90-minute session and completed a measure of mental health (Outcome Questionnaire-45). Longitudinal multilevel models were used to evaluate the hypothesis that participation in the Fb group would lead to improved mental health. The effect of the intervention was conditional on receipt of public …


Opportunities And Risks In Online Gaming Environments, Benjamin George Sanders Jan 2016

Opportunities And Risks In Online Gaming Environments, Benjamin George Sanders

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) have evolved from traditional video games in that they embrace both the technology of the Internet and video games. The massive “exodus” from the physical offline world to online gaming communities brings with it not only a number of unique and exciting opportunities, but also a number of emerging and serious risks. This research set out to examine the unique opportunities and risks to vulnerable individuals, namely, young adults, teenagers and young children; all of whom are considered by many to be priority groups in the protection from harm. The purpose was to …


Improving Our Understanding Of Evolutionary Persistence In An Increasingly High Co2 World: Insight From Marine Polychaetes At A Low Ph Vent System, Noelle Marie Lucey Jan 2016

Improving Our Understanding Of Evolutionary Persistence In An Increasingly High Co2 World: Insight From Marine Polychaetes At A Low Ph Vent System, Noelle Marie Lucey

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The main aim of this thesis was to determine how marine metazoans might persist as ocean acidification (OA) conditions intensify. This was done using a combination of field surveys, field transplants and laboratory experiments with polychaetes from a site where volcanically-derived CO2 gas bubbles through the seafloor and drives the seawater pH down, resulting in a marine ecosystem representative of global OA projections for, or before, the year 2100. My first objective was to identify phenotypes, or traits, associated with OA tolerance (Chapter 2 and 5). To do this, I characterized the distribution of dominant calcifying polychaetes along natural pH …


Impact Behaviour Of Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened Or Repaired With Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (Cfrp), Mahdi Al-Farttoosi Jan 2016

Impact Behaviour Of Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened Or Repaired With Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (Cfrp), Mahdi Al-Farttoosi

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

War, terrorist attacks, explosions, progressive collapse and other unforeseen circumstances have damaged many structures, including buildings and bridges in war- torn countries such as Iraq. Most of the damaged structural members, for example, beams, columns and slabs, have not totally collapsed and can be repaired. Nowadays, carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) is widely used in strengthening and retrofitting structural members. CFRP can restore the load- carrying capacity of damaged structural members to make them serviceable. The effect of using CFRP to repair the damaged beams has not been not properly addressed in the literature. This research has the aim of …


How Do We Communicate Who We Are? Examining How Organizational Identity Is Conveyed To Members, Beth S. Schinoff, Kristie M. Rogers, Kevin G. Corley Jan 2016

How Do We Communicate Who We Are? Examining How Organizational Identity Is Conveyed To Members, Beth S. Schinoff, Kristie M. Rogers, Kevin G. Corley

Management Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


The Perceived Impacts Of Woman-To-Woman Rape And Sexual Assault, And The Subsequent Experience Of Disclosure, Reaction, And Support On Victim/Survivors’ Subjective Experience Of Occupation, Rebecca Twinley Jan 2016

The Perceived Impacts Of Woman-To-Woman Rape And Sexual Assault, And The Subsequent Experience Of Disclosure, Reaction, And Support On Victim/Survivors’ Subjective Experience Of Occupation, Rebecca Twinley

School of Health Professions Theses

The traditional and universal assumption that rape and sexual assault are gendered in nature - perpetrated by men upon women in order to control, oppress, or subordinate them - has implications for victim/survivors of every other form of unwanted sexual contact and non-contact. The historical focus upon male-to-female rape has overlooked the fact that – regardless of gender – children and adults are sexually victimised by people of all ages and genders. In my thesis, I explore the experiences of a group of victim/survivors who national and international research, and anti-sexual-victimisation efforts, have essentially ignored: women who have been sexually …


Understand The Environmental Fate, Behaviour, Effects And Risks Associated With Contaminants Of Emerging Concern (Cecs) With The Goal Of Protecting Environmental And Human Health, Kevin Victor Thomas Jan 2016

Understand The Environmental Fate, Behaviour, Effects And Risks Associated With Contaminants Of Emerging Concern (Cecs) With The Goal Of Protecting Environmental And Human Health, Kevin Victor Thomas

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Each and every one of us is exposed to chemicals on a daily basis and contributes to the global issue of chemical pollution. Humankind has become heavily dependent on the use of man-made chemicals in order to sustain the increased quality of life that is generally seen globally. There is however a price to pay in that we generally live in a world that is polluted by anthropogenic chemicals. From the water we drink to the food we eat there will be some trace of chemical residues; you just need to look closely enough and/or know what you’re looking for. …


Processing-Performance Relationships For Fibre-Reinforced Composites, Amjed Saleh Mahmood Jan 2016

Processing-Performance Relationships For Fibre-Reinforced Composites, Amjed Saleh Mahmood

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The present study considers the dependence of mechanical properties in composite laminates on the fibre architecture. The objective is to characterise the mechanical properties of composite plates while varying the fibre distribution but keeping the constituent materials unchanged. Image analysis and fractal dimension have been used to quantify fibre distribution and resin-rich volumes (RRV) and to correlate these with the mechanical properties of the fibre-reinforced composites. The formation, shape and size of RRV in composites with different fabric architectures is discussed. The majority of studies in literatures show a negative effect of the RRV on the mechanical behaviour of composite …


A Grounded Theory Of International Postgraduate Students In A British University: Making The Grade, Patrick Mcmahon Jan 2016

A Grounded Theory Of International Postgraduate Students In A British University: Making The Grade, Patrick Mcmahon

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

The aim of this study was to produce a grounded theory to describe the experiences of international students living in the UK and studying in a British university, and to understand and explain their behavioural responses to those experiences. Eighteen postgraduate international students were interviewed at a university in the south-west of England and the data was analysed using classic grounded theory methodology. The theory proposes that international students’ two biggest concerns are in regard to their English language skills and their detachment from home students. Students felt that their language skills were inadequate and they perceived themselves to be …


Community Planning, Community Safety And Policing: A Local Case Study Of Governance Through Partnership, Gareth Addidle Jan 2016

Community Planning, Community Safety And Policing: A Local Case Study Of Governance Through Partnership, Gareth Addidle

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

The Local Government in Scotland Act (2003) introduced Community Planning as a statutory responsibility in Scotland. The main aims of community planning are described as “making sure people and communities are genuinely engaged in the decisions made on public services which affect them; allied to a commitment from organisations to work together, not apart, in providing better public services” (Scottish Executive, 2003a). For the police, this implied the need to create ‘local solutions to locally identified concerns’ (Strathclyde Police, 2004, p2) and to adopt a holistic approach to community safety which is problem oriented rather than organisation led (Crawford, 1998, …


“Nobody's Ever Asked Me What It's Like”: The Role Of Family Networks In The Transitions Of Injured Soldiers Engaging With Higher Education., Wendy Lambert-Heggs Jan 2016

“Nobody's Ever Asked Me What It's Like”: The Role Of Family Networks In The Transitions Of Injured Soldiers Engaging With Higher Education., Wendy Lambert-Heggs

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

An increasing number of injured service personnel returning from active combat duty will not be redeployed and many of them face discharge from military service. A number of these men and women have sustained life-threatening injuries which may, if the individual survives, result in reduced physical and mental health functioning. This research is focused on the transitions and processes that injured personnel go through when contemplating a new career through engagement with a higher education programme of study. An in-depth qualitative case study of networks of intimacy was used, an approach developed by Heath and Fuller (2007) to explore how, …


Development Of Protein-Polymer Core-Shell Nanoparticles (Ppcs-Nps) As Efficient Vehicles To Deliver Therapeutic Agents Across Blood Brain Barrier (Bbb), Napat Tandikul Jan 2016

Development Of Protein-Polymer Core-Shell Nanoparticles (Ppcs-Nps) As Efficient Vehicles To Deliver Therapeutic Agents Across Blood Brain Barrier (Bbb), Napat Tandikul

Theses and Dissertations

Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) plays a main role as selective barrier which controls and limits access of chemicals, molecules and therapeutic agents from blood to brain. The BBB endothelial cells are connected by Tight Junctions (TJs) which close intracellular spaces between the endothelial cells and block the free diffusion of substances, therefore many potential drugs for treating human brain diseases cannot reach the brain in sufficient concentration. Recently, many studies have thrown an interest in development of nanoparticles for delivering drugs and imaging agents across BBB. Our research group has developed protein-polymer core-shell nanoparticles (PPCS-NPs) which demonstrate great potential for …


Investigating The Role Of Internal Hospital Factors And The External Environment On Healthcare Quality Outcomes And Patient Choice, Deepa Wani Jan 2016

Investigating The Role Of Internal Hospital Factors And The External Environment On Healthcare Quality Outcomes And Patient Choice, Deepa Wani

Theses and Dissertations

The healthcare landscape has been changing rapidly with changes in the reimbursement system, financial incentives for using information technologies, pay for performance programs for quality improvements and increased demand for hospital services from millions of newly insured patients. Understanding the impact of these policy changes in an operations management context has been an understudied area. We contribute to the literature by incorporating research streams from healthcare, economics, marketing and quality management. This dissertation consists of three studies. The first study examines the impact of the mandated use of electronic health records, and finds that such records not only improve the …


Influence Of Built Environment On Physical Activity Outcomes Among African Americans In Community-Based Obesity Intervention Studies, Amanda Sue Thomas Jan 2016

Influence Of Built Environment On Physical Activity Outcomes Among African Americans In Community-Based Obesity Intervention Studies, Amanda Sue Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

More than sixty-five percent of people in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese. African-Americans in the U.S. have a higher risk of obesity than any other racial group. One way to reduce this statistic is physical activity. Recreational green spaces (parks) can serve as an avenue to complete the 150 min/wk of recommended physical activity for adults by the ACSM. Data from SISTAS and HEALS interventions, that recruited overweight/obese African-Americans from Columbia and Florence, SC, was used to assess the association of recreational green space (parks) around a residence and physical activity. Physical activity measures of RAPA questionnaire (self-report), …


Iv Prenatal Nicotine Exposure Modulates Α6, Α7, And Α4Β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholinergic Receptor Subunit Expression In Male And Female Neonatal And Adolescent Rat Offspring: An Autoradiographical Analysis, Amanda Morgan Jan 2016

Iv Prenatal Nicotine Exposure Modulates Α6, Α7, And Α4Β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholinergic Receptor Subunit Expression In Male And Female Neonatal And Adolescent Rat Offspring: An Autoradiographical Analysis, Amanda Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

Maternal smoke exposure produces long-term adverse cognitive and behavioral outcomes in offspring, including an increased likelihood of attention problems (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; ADHD) and drug abuse. Preclinical research shows that gestational exposure to nicotine, the primary psychoactive compound in tobacco smoke, influences the neurodevelopment of attention and reward neuronal circuits. This study investigated hypotheses about five brain regions, to determine if prenatal nicotine (PN) exposure altered expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). A low dose, intravenous nicotine (IV) exposure method was used to administer nicotine (0.05 mg/kg/injection) or saline, 3x/day on gestational days 8–21 (Treatment). Brain tissue was …


Unmarked Boxes: A Solo Show, Nicole Dietze Jan 2016

Unmarked Boxes: A Solo Show, Nicole Dietze

Theses and Dissertations

Unmarked Boxes is an original solo show, written during the fall of 2015 and performed on December 2, 3 and 4, 2015 at the Center for Performance Experiment, 718 Devine Street, Columbia, SC, along with seven other solo shows in the showcase, Light Through a Pinhole. Examining American perspectives on grief and dying, Unmarked Boxes tells the story of a young American woman who struggles to plan and perform a sky burial in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.


The Informational And Emotional Support Needs Of Grandparents Of Children With Pompe Disease, Natasha Lousie Rudy Jan 2016

The Informational And Emotional Support Needs Of Grandparents Of Children With Pompe Disease, Natasha Lousie Rudy

Theses and Dissertations

The complex roles and experiences of grandparents of children with various diagnoses have been described, but previous studies have not investigated the roles and experiences of grandparents of children with treatable, Mendelian conditions such as Pompe disease. The availability of treatment and heritable nature of Pompe introduce the possibility for unique grandparent roles, experiences and needs. This is a particularly timely investigation given the advent of newborn screening for Pompe. This study aimed to characterize grandparents’ roles and involvement, identify grandparents’ information and emotional support needs, and explore the psychosocial impact felt by grandparents of children with Pompe. An online …