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Just Transition and Environmental Justice: Principles, Practice and Implementation Strategies for a Post-Oil Future (Hybrid)
Get PDFYesThe School of Law University of Bradford is a modern law school with a growing
research portfolio on various aspects of sustainable development law and policy. We
support an active research community which comprises our academics, our students,
and external partners, leading on, and collaborating in, world-class research which is
academically rigorous, innovative, applicable to real life, can positively influence
policy and practice and promote social justice. For this purpose, we collaborate with
academic, third sector, professional and industry partners at national and
international levels to foster an active research community, social justice and
innovative, policy-oriented research.
The term ‘just transition’ has recently evolved from a process that seeks to galvanize
a change in energy production and consumption practices to one which alludes to a
transition from a fossil-fuel dependent economy or development approach to a lowcarbon economy.
The just transition discourse takes as its point of departure the recognition that fossilfuel dependent economies were characterised by environmental injustice, inequalities
or uneven distribution of environmental resources. Hence, the need to protect
vulnerable communities, workers and dependent economic systems so that the
adverse impact of the transition to a low-carbon economy will be reduced.
It is imperative that a holistic approach be taken in recognising the inequalities which
have arisen for various stakeholders within and between countries that bear the cost
of decarbonization, including historical concerns and environmental (in)justice.
Therefore, implementing just transition requires an overview of social equality;
inclusive participation; distributive justice; policy reform and implementation of
judicial and non-judicial mechanisms for access to environmental justice.
Hence, the conference provided a forum to identify diverse pathways for
implementing just transition, explore how inequalities arise from these transitions,
and highlight effective legal frameworks for access to environmental justice at the
international and national levels
A Rule-Based Predictive Model for Estimating Human Impact Data in Natural Onset Disasters - The Case of PRED Model
Get PDFYesThis paper proposes a framework to cope with the lack of data at the time of a disaster by em-ploying predictive models. The framework can be used for disaster human impact assessment based on the socio-economic characteristics of the affected countries. A panel data of 4252 natural onset disasters between 1980 to 2020 is processed through concept drift phenomenon and rule-based classifiers, namely Moving Average (MA). A Predictive model for Estimating Data (PRED) is developed as a decision-making platform based on the Disaster Severity Analysis (DSA) Technique. A comparison with the real data shows that the platform can predict the human impact of a disaster (fatality, injured, homeless) up to 3% errors; thus, it is able to inform the selection of disaster relief partners for various disaster scenarios
Poloxamer-based nanogels as delivery systems: how structural requirements can drive their biological performance
Get PDFYesPoloxamers or Pluronics®-based nanogels are one of the most used matrices for developing delivery systems. Due to their thermoresponsive and flexible mechanical properties, they allowed the incorporation of several molecules including drugs, biomacromolecules, lipid-derivatives, polymers, and metallic, polymeric, or lipid nanocarriers. The thermogelling mechanism is driven by micelles formation and their self-assembly as phase organizations (lamellar, hexagonal, cubic) in response to microenvironmental conditions such as temperature, osmolarity, and additives incorporated. Then, different biophysical techniques have been used for investigating those structural transitions from the mechanisms to the preferential component’s orientation and organization. Since the design of PL-based pharmaceutical formulations is driven by the choice of the polymer type, considering its physico-chemical properties, it is also relevant to highlight that factors inherent to the polymeric matrix can be strongly influenced by the presence of additives and how they are able to determine the nanogels biopharmaceuticals properties such as bioadhesion, drug loading, surface interaction behavior, dissolution, and release rate control. In this review, we discuss the general applicability of three of the main biophysical techniques used to characterize those systems, scattering techniques (small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering), rheology and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR), connecting their supramolecular structure and insights for formulating effective therapeutic delivery systems.The Sao Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP (Grant 2019/20303-4; 2019/14773-8), National Council for Scientifc and Technological Development - CNPq (308819/2022-0), ERASMUS Program Fellowship, and The Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel - Brazil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001
Navigating the coronavirus pandemic 2 years on: Experiences of people with dementia from the British IDEAL cohort
Get PDFYesPeople with dementia have been affected in unique ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not known whether the impact of the pandemic has changed with time or with the changes in social restrictions. This study explored how experiences of coping with the effects of the pandemic in the UK changed over time.
We conducted semi-structured interviews with people with dementia living in the community in England and Wales who had taken part in a qualitative interview at an earlier stage of the pandemic. We applied framework analysis to identify themes and compared these with interviewees' previous accounts.
Nine people aged between 51 and 89 years were interviewed; four were female and five had early onset dementia. We identified three themes: 1. Navigating a changing world: Living with coronavirus; 2. A 'downward spiral': Managing advancing dementia; and 3. Availability, accessibility, and suitability of support. Findings reflect participants' ongoing caution about re-emerging from social restrictions to resume valued activities, and how this led to coping behaviours to minimise the impact on wellbeing in the absence of formal support and services.
Despite easing of restrictions across the UK, the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on people with dementia continues. Whilst individuals and services have adapted to some of the challenges, there is now an opportunity to rebuild support networks and services to ensure people with dementia are suitably advised, supported and socially engaged to allow them to live as well as possible.This work was supported by Economic and Social Research Council (Alzheimer’s Society Centre of Excellence [348, A) (ESRC, part of UK Research and Innovation, UKRI) [ES/V004964/1] to Clare, L., Victor, C., Matthews, F., Quinn, C., Hillman, A., Burns, A., Allan, L., Litherland, R., Martyr, A., Collins, R., & Pentecost, C.; ESRC and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) [ES/L001853/2] to L. Clare, I.R. Jones, C. Victor, J.V. Hindle, R.W. Jones, M. Knapp, M. Kopelman, R. Litherland, A. Martyr, F.E. Matthews, R.G. Morris, S.M. Nelis, J.A. Pickett, C. Quinn, J. Rusted, J. Thom; and Alzheimer’s Society Centre of Excellence [348, AS-PR2-16-001] to L. Clare, I.R. Jones, C. Victor, C. Ballard, A. Hillman, J.V. Hindle, J. Hughes, R.W. Jones, M. Knapp, R. Litherland, A. Martyr, F.E. Matthews, R.G. Morris, S.M. Nelis, C. Quinn, J. Rusted
Developing a sustainable ultra-high performance concrete using seawater and sea-sand in combination with super-fine stainless wires
Get PDFYesUtilizing seawater and sea-sand for producing ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) can substantially reduce raw materials costs and alleviate the current freshwater and river sand resources shortage in coastal and marine areas. However, the corrosion risk to reinforcing fibers inside UHPC caused by chlorides in seawater and sea-sand cannot be ignored. In this study, a new type of sustainable UHPC composed of seawater and desalinated sea-sand (UHPSSC) reinforced with stainless profile, super-fine stainless wire (SSW) was developed. Its mechanical properties and chloride content were studied. The research results show that SSWs do not rust after immersion in seawater. The flexural and compressive strengths of UHPSSC incorporating 1.5% SSWs are 13.8MPa and 138.6MPa, respectively, and the flexural toughness of UHPSSC is increased by 428.9%, reaching the basic mechanical requirements of UHPC. The high specific surface area of SSW and enrichment of silica fume on its surface enhance the interfacial bond between fiber and matrix, further promoting the full play of the SSWs' reinforcing mechanisms as proved by the decrease of the Ca/Si ratio at the SSW surface. The C-S-H gels with a high Ca/Si ratio within the ITZ as well as Friedel's salt are conducive to immobilize chlorides, blocking the migration of chlorides through the matrix and further mitigating the risk of long-term chloride corrosion of SSWs. Overall, utilizing seawater and desalinated sea-sand in combination with SSWs can produce UHPC with improved strength and toughness, making it a suitable choice for applications where high durability and long-term mechanical performance is required
Chain-Extendable Crosslinked Hydrogels Using Branching RAFT Modification
Get PDFYesFunctional crosslinked hydrogels were prepared from 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and acrylic acid (AA). The acid monomer was incorporated both via copolymerization and chain extension of a branching, reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer agent incorporated into the crosslinked polymer gel. The hydrogels were intolerant to high levels of acidic copolymerization as the acrylic acid weakened the ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) crosslinked network. Hydrogels made from HEMA, EGDMA and a branching RAFT agent provide the network with loose-chain end functionality that can be retained for subsequent chain extension. Traditional methods of surface functionalization have the downside of potentially creating a high volume of homopolymerization in the solution. Branching RAFT comonomers act as versatile anchor sites by which additional polymerization chain extension reactions can be carried out. Acrylic acid grafted onto HEMA–EGDMA hydrogels showed higher mechanical strength than the equivalent statistical copolymer networks and was shown to have functionality as an electrostatic binder of cationic flocculants
Ecological footprint as an indicator of national and city level sustainability. A case study of Bangladesh with a focus on Narayanganj
No full textThis thesis addresses urban sustainability from an ecological footprint viewpoint to make cities inclusive, safe and livable in Bangladesh under the SDG-11 of the Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals-2030. Previous empirical studies on Bangladesh do not focus on Ecological Footprint (EF), and Naryanganj City’s (NC) EF has yet been explored. Previous studies also focused on only specific dimension of sustainability. This study aims to meet these gaps by linking the existing facilities and required initiatives under all dimensions of sustainability, e.g., social, economic, environment and institutions. Both secondary and primary data were used. Secondary data were collected from the World Bank and Global Footprint Network. Primary data were collected by a survey of 500 households in NC and twenty in-depth semi-structured interviews with experienced urban experts from academics, NGOs, government, voluntary and independent urban research organizations in Bangladesh. STIRPAT model was used to analyze the secondary data, and interview data were analyzed following theoretical thematic analysis. The empirical findings suggest that Bangladesh can still afford more urbanization. However, the high EF of NC is a concern of this affordability. The interview data analysis indicates that the government can promote the current opportunities for a relatively quick result for urban sustainability without imposing any extra burden on citizens. A sustainable urban development framework (SUDF) and based on this SUDF, a set of policy recommendations is also proposed. Further research options and limitations of this study have also been identified
Rooftop Collected Rainwater Quality and Vegetation Impact: Field Work in Lagos, Nigeria, and the Related Experimental and Numerical Studies
No full textWater scarcity is a significant issue in the underdeveloped and developing countries, and harvested rainwater has the potential of being an improved source of water for consumption. Since many residents in both rural and urban settings in Nigeria rely on harvested rainwater as a source of water for drinking and domestic use, it is imperative to investigate ways and implement measures to enhance its quality. This study used QMRA to evaluate the health risk associated with bacterial contamination of roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW). To achieve this, the impact of some improvement techniques (such as first flush, sedimentation, and Household Treatment Techniques (HHTTs)) on the quality of rainwater was investigated. The QMRA results showed that those who harvest and drink rainwater without applying any HHTTs are at a very high risk of bacterial infection. However, the results identified that two out of the three common HHTTs are effective in lowering the risk of infection.
The impact of different vegetation spacing sizes on turbulent characteristics in an open channel was investigated and the results from the experimental measurements and the numerical modelling were compared. The presence of the full vegetation stems in Test 1, constrained the development of turbulent vortex, and this phenomenon is weakened in the open spaces, which led to the varying velocity in the open regions of Tests 2 and 3. The numerical modelling results agrees with experimental measurements, as the root mean square error for all the tested and validated points are within acceptable limit (i.e., less than 10%)
Genotoxic effects of a novel form of Gold Nanoparticles loaded with Hesperidin on head and neck cancer lymphocytes compared to effects from healthy control lymphocytes and Squamous cell Carcinoma of Maxillary sinus
No full textThe head and neck cancers (HNC) are a group of cancers that begin in the squamous cells that line the mucosal surfaces of the head and neck. Therefore, they are commonly known as squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus (MC) is a rare type of HNC, and it is a very aggressive tumour. This cancer is typically diagnosed at a very advanced stage and most patients have a poor survival rate and prognosis. This study is based on the synthesis and applications of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) conjugated with hesperidin (Hsp) as a targeted drug delivery system. AuNPs are ideal for loading different drugs and delivering them to targets sites due to their stability, small size, substantial surface area, non-cytotoxic and inert nature. Hsp is a naturally occurring substance with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities. The main aim of this research was to develop a highly efficient and safer method to deliver Hsp to the target sites. The Hsp with poor solubility and bioavailability render it only slightly absorbed, requiring a delivery system to reach its therapeutic target.
This study focused on the effects of 15μg/ml Hsp loaded on gold nanoparticles (Hsp-AuNPs) on 20 healthy individuals’ lymphocytes as compared to 20 HNC patients’ lymphocytes using the alkaline Comet assay. While enzyme-based Comet repair was performed on 5 healthy individuals’ lymphocytes as compared to 5 HNC patients’ lymphocytes. The Hsp-AuNPs reduced the DNA damage in HNC patients’ lymphocytes compared to the healthy lymphocytes (***p<0.001). Furthermore, the 15μg/ml of Hsp-AuNPs significantly reduced the oxidative stress caused by H2O2 and appeared to be effective in both groups using the Comet and Comet repair assay. Results from Comet and Comet repair assay were consistent. The human squamous cells of maxillary sinus (MC) were also treated with 5μg/ml of Hsp-AuNPs. The alkaline Comet assay results showed that Hsp-AuNPs induced DNA damage in MC cells (***p<0.001). Therefore, Hsp-AuNPs demonstrated the most substantial genotoxic effects and confirmed a possible anticancer agent. The Hsp was also used to treat lymphocytes from healthy individuals as compared to HNC patients’ lymphocytes they reduced the DNA damage, but they were less effective as compared to Hsp-AuNPs. Published data shows that using the AuNPs as a drug carrier has a more potent therapeutic effect against different diseases including cancer. Also, this study investigated the gene protective and genotoxic impact of bulk Hsp in Maxillary sinus carcinoma cells. The data obtained indicated that Hsp-AuNPs might possibly be effective for the treatment of MC and demonstrated the ability of Hsp-AuNPs to increase the DNA damage more than the bulk form of Hsp (***p<0.001). The outcomes of this study are consistent with the viewpoint that the Hsp-AuNPs might have a substantial role in cancer treatment, including MC. The concentration of 5μg/ml Hsp-AuNPs was used to treat the MC cells in Western blotting, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was based on a preliminary test for the optimal dose. The data obtained indicated that Hsp-AuNPs might potentially be effective for the treatment of HNC and showed the ability of Hsp-AuNPs to reduce DNA damage more than the bulk form of Hsp. Hsp-AuNPs has also shown anti-cancer potential in the MC cells by up-regulating the expression of p53, p21, PPAR gamma, and Caspase 3, at mRNA and protein levels by up-regulating the p53, PPAR gamma, Caspase 3, and p21 to mediate apoptosis and DNA repair in MC cells. The findings of this study are consistent with the view that the Hsp-AuNPs could have a significant role in cancer treatment, including HNC and MC