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Which proprioception assessment method best predicts balance ability in healthy young and elderly populations?
Get PDFDetermining the process through which balance and ankle proprioception are linked has been a relevant topic in the last decade due to the direct clinical implications associated with balance deficits. The overall aim of this thesis was to determine which proprioceptive assessment method best predicts balance ability in healthy young and elderly populations. We started our research with a detailed literature review on proprioception (Chapter 1) to assess the gaps of knowledge in the database on proprioception and its link to balance. We aimed to compare different proprioceptive assessment methods to determine which one best predicted balance performance. We therefore started by developing several proprioceptive assessment methods (described in Chapter 2). We were able to develop two additional assessment methods to test in our balance lab beside joint position reproduction (JPR), which had been developed prior to the commencement of our research. Both assessment methods were variations of the threshold to detection of passive motion (TTDPM) method. The first measured detection threshold as the amplitude at which passive ankle motion was detected, and the second measured reaction time of participants the moment they detected ankle motion. Using these techniques, we performed a series of experimental studies. The first experimental study (Chapter 3) determined whether age-related decline in ankle proprioception, as measured through a JPR task, is affected by muscle strength. Our results indicated that while age significantly affected proprioceptive acuity at the ankle, muscle strength had a significant effect on the proprioceptive performance of middle-aged participants only. Our second experimental study (Chapter 4) established whether isometric contraction influenced ankle proprioception. We found that while there was no difference in ankle proprioceptive acuity between a passive and an isometrically contracted leg, the stability of muscular force output–as measured through torque variability–significantly predicted proprioceptive performance. Our third experimental study (Chapter 5), determined whether ankle proprioception, measured using a reaction-time method, was predictive of postural sway during quiet standing. We found that reaction time significantly predicted standing balance in the anterior-posterior plane when feet were apart. We also found that age significantly correlated with reaction time, with older participants reacting at significantly slower rates than younger participants. In addition, we found a significant interaction between age and vision when we analysed body sway data separately. This indicates that older aged participants relied on vision more than younger participants to maintain their balance during quiet standing. Our findings show that age significantly predicts proprioceptive acuity at the ankle, with older participants consistently performing worse using different proprioceptive assessment methods. They also suggest that more studies are needed on the effect of muscle strength on proprioceptive performance, as our results indicate there is a link between the two
A cross-cultural comparative study of urban form, China and UK
Get PDFThis thesis conducts a cross-cultural examination of morphological developments in two model urban case studies, located in China and the UK. It begins by analysing the differences in distinct institutional, historical, cultural backgrounds and landscape basis at the national and city levels. Subsequently, the thesis provides a comprehensive morphogenetic landscape analysis of the two cases in four aspects: their plans; patterns of built forms; land and building use patterns; and the utilisation of green space. The thesis systematically explores both the commonalities and disparities between these case studies. Disparities arise from multiple factors, including distinct cultural backgrounds, developmental stages, and, notably, institutional differences. The thesis argues that these institutional differences are the fundamental drivers behind the divergent evolution of their townscape. However, beyond these differences, the two cases also exhibit significant similarities. When viewed from a broader perspective, both demonstrate a similar concern for their working classes and vulnerable communities, leading to similar community spatial organizational forms. Moreover, both cases have come to be designated as heritage sites over time, signifying their cultural value. The thesis argues that, beyond the mere preservation of physical structures, safeguarding the essence of utopian ideals is of greater significance
Characterisation and Mitigation of Radar Interference in Automotive Applications
Get PDFRadar has emerged as an integral sensor for imaging and scene perception to achieve full situational awareness for vehicle automation. The increase in radar penetration rate and a limited spectrum availability for automotive uses have given rise to coexistence problems,
where radars directly or indirectly interfere with each other. Interference causes a degradation in the radar performance, particularly an increased noise (interference) floor, making it difficult to detect, identify, and classify targets accurately, as well as perceive the vehicle’s surroundings which is essential for trajectory estimation and path planning applications. This might lead to potential accidents especially in dense road conditions.
The work presented in this thesis investigates the mutual interference in 77 GHz millimetre-wave frequency modulated continuous wave radar to develop suitable mitigation strategies without a detrimental effect on the performance of the radar. A mathematical model is developed to systematically assess and quantify the performance of radars in an interference background. Various types of interference expected in automotive scenarios are first classified, such as fast-chirp, slow-chirp, synchronous, and asynchronous. The appearance and impact of
interference are then evaluated at each stage of the victim radar’s signal processing and analysed in the time, range, range-Doppler, and range-azimuth profiles.
The characteristics of interference in each profile are exploited to develop appropriate mitigation techniques along with their comparative performance analysis. For pre-detection mitigation, waveform randomisation and spectral windowing – inherently used in radar processing – are discussed to minimise the impact of interference. Techniques to detect interference and estimate the waveform parameters of the interfering radars are developed using the radar data from real-road measurements, which are used for cognitive interference mitigation. In the spatial domain, adaptive digital beamforming is discussed to suppress interference for various radar configurations and penetration rates. In imaging techniques, Doppler beam sharpening is developed to significantly reduce the impact of interference with complete removal of interference from the radar’s field of view in some cases.
A comprehensive statistical evaluation of interference and its comparison with the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) have demonstrated that most types of interference have statistics comparable to those of AWGN. Therefore, the currently existing detection techniques remain valid for target detection in an interference background.
Lastly, an experimentally verified holistic end-to-end system level radar simulator is developed to model, evaluate, and optimise radar performance in diverse scenarios with various traffic, roadside, and interference density conditions
Shifting Flood Risk Management (FRM) in England and the Netherlands: public flood risk perceptions and responses
Get PDFFloods are one of the most damaging global events faced by society. Recent, significant flood events have also occurred despite suggestions that improved disaster risk reduction in the years prior have counteracted increasing socio-economic exposure and vulnerability. Shifting management, from traditional hazard-focused and engineered measures to integrated Flood Risk Management (FRM), is one way of tackling this ‘wicked’ water and flood problem. Yet, by applying a risk-based approach, and more emphasis being given to other aspects of the safety cycle such as preparation and recovery, it is important to understand how flood risk perceptions influence personal behaviours to risks. However, a feedback loop has been identified between flood risk perceptions and FRM, with only one side of this relationship included in literature. Recent socio-hydrology theories and concepts are contributing to this gap, but this work remains predominately theoretical.
Applying an interdisciplinary approach, this thesis first reviews the evolution of FRM directions in England and the Netherlands, two countries described as similar in some cases of managing flood risk. It then draws upon case studies of different FRM approaches in both countries to investigate the often-missed influence of varying FRM upon flood risk perceptions. Finally, this thesis analyses public preferences towards FRM and socio-hydrological response assumptions to flood events.
The results indicate that although both countries have progressed to a well-developed state of FRM, dominant and county-specific factors have both hindered and progressed developments. The level to which FRM measures are applied, and whether these are reactive or proactive, also differs between countries due to varying combinations of policy change drivers. When investigating flood risk perceptions in the case studies across England and the Netherlands, FRM may play a part in influencing these, particularly when considering future likelihood of flooding, but a combination of other influential factors such as political involvement, community participation and frequent flooding also play a role in driving flood risk perceptions. Finally, socio-hydrology response assumptions and FRM preferences were tested with respondents that had been directly, indirectly, and never impacted by flooding. The results found that while prevention may be preferred to protection overall for FRM, flooding responses depend on the influence of previous flood events
Features of mediated learning experience in the values education of children in Quaker children’s meetings and their significance
Get PDFThis thesis analyses approaches to the transmission of values in British Quaker Children's Meetings which are situated within the broader context of values education focusing particularly on points of contact with Reuven Feuerstein's Mediated Learning Experience theory. It attempts to answers the question of how far and, if so, why these approaches coincide with the principles of Mediated Learning Experience which is an approach to teaching based on similar values to those espoused by Quakerism.
The theoretical part of the thesis first discusses Feuerstein's approach to teaching in a general sense in the context of the cognitive theories of Jean Piaget, Lev S. Vygotsky, and Jerome S. Bruner, and then points out its relevance to the field of values education, examining its roots in Jewish culture and comparing it with the cognitive developmental approach, character education, and the sociocultural approach. The practical part presents the results of a qualitative research study conducted through semi-structured interviews with 28 leaders of Quaker Children's Meetings in Britain, which were analysed using the principles of thematic analysis and grounded theory.
Analysis of the interviews shows significant parallels between the reported approaches to teaching values identified in Quaker Children's Meetings and the principles of Mediated Learning Experience. In addition to elements of the Mediated Learning Experience, important emphases such as the mediation of silence, listening, and respect were identified in the Quaker Children's Meeting setting that have relevance in a range of non-Quaker settings.
The research, arguably, will provide insights into the work of Quaker Children's Meeting leaders, indicating an example of a context in which Mediated Learning Experience principles are implicitly enacted and their use in values education. The thesis seeks to make a contribution to the current debate concerning approaches to the teaching of values through an analysis of the various conceptions and a search for their points of contact
An investigation into the genetic background of Escherichia coli lineages containing multi-drug resistant clones
Get PDFEscherichia coli is a commensal resident of the human gastrointestinal tract that can also cause disease at multiple extra-intestinal body sites. E. coli is globally recognised as a pathogen of concern due to the high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) present within the species. However, the prevalence of AMR is not uniform across the enormously diverse E. coli population. Some E. coli lineages remain largely susceptible to antibiotics, whilst others are resistant to many antibiotic classes and are therefore multi-drug resistant (MDR). A wide spectrum of resistance phenotypes have been observed in strains from throughout the E. coli phylogeny, meaning that the ability to acquire and accumulate
resistance determinants is not an exclusively vertically-inherited trait. A simple explanation for the phylogenetic spread of MDR phenotypes could be that the lineages that encounter antibiotics more frequently are more resistant. Yet this is not the case, as multiple longitudinal studies have shown that large, stable proportions of E. coli bloodstream and urinary tract infections are caused by lineages that do not exhibit high levels of resistance. Compounding the problem, MDR E. coli are adept at colonising the gastrointestinal tracts of healthy humans who are not taking antibiotics. Studies of international travellers have documented colonisation with MDR E. coli occurring within days of arriving in AMR endemic areas
Grinding of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy: an experimental and dimensional analysis evaluation
Get PDFThe work presented in this thesis deals with the grinding characteristics of aerospace alloy Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64). Firstly, a new and novel approach for evaluating the peak workpiece temperature was conducted and, in addition, the associated cutting forces acting on the grinding wheel were also analysed, alongside the G-ratio and subsequent surface integrity of the ground workpiece, i.e., surface roughness, microstructure analysis, microhardness interrogation and induced residual stresses. Secondly, a further dimensional analysis (DA) study of the test programme was then performed to determine if a theoretical approach could be developed for predicting the experimental test programme findings. In summary, the present research was structured into two phases of work.
Phase 1 involved an experimental test programme to investigate the effect of changes in wheel speed, V, feed rate, V, and depth of cut, a, values on workpiece temperature, over a range of finishing and larger stock removal conditions when using a SiC grinding wheel. The workpiece temperatures were evaluated through a series of three thermocouples implanted in the workpiece near the entry, middle and exit of the cut, whilst the grinding forces were measured using a piezoelectric dynamometer. A key observation was that significant spikes in workpiece temperature were recorded by the thermocouple positioned near the end of the cut when compared to the first two thermocouples in the series; e.g., a maximum workpiece temperature differential, ΔT, of 72.9%. Moreover, a maximum workpiece temperature of approximately 800°C was measured when using the most aggressive parameters, whilst a minimum workpiece temperature of approximately 75°C was observed when grinding using less aggressive parameters. Film boiling of the coolant was proposed as a possible explanation, in addition to the build-up of latent heat within the system. Similarly, higher cutting forces were observed when using more aggressive grinding parameters, with peak cutting forces reaching 1500N, whilst lower grinding parameters observed force traces as low as 500N, i.e., ΔF of 66.7%. Additional post-grinding surface integrity assessment consisting of surface roughness, optical microscopy of the subsurface, microhardness and residual stresses were evaluated regarding the Ti64 workpieces after the experimental test programme had been conducted. Significantly higher G-ratios were found when using less aggressive grinding parameters, whilst microhardness values were found to be higher further along the grinding pass by 4.1%, indicating that temperatures are higher again due to the lack of coolant fluid within the grinding zone at this point in the pass. Higher wheel speeds were also found to reduce the peak workpiece temperature, and so this should be considered when grinding components that require high precision finishing. The average surface roughness, R, observed a maximum 50% reduction when increasing wheel speeds from 20m.s to 30m.s whilst keeping the feed rate and the depth of cut constant.
Phase 2 established DA models using the Buckingham-π method. Six Buckingham-π groups were derived using base unit quantities associated with the workpiece and the tooling material properties, in addition to the machining parameters tested. The Buckingham-π groups were then analysed and compared against the experimental results from Phase 1. Results indicated an excellent correlation for predicting both workpiece temperature and cutting forces when comparing depth of cut, feed rate and wheel speed, with the variance between data sets being less than 5%
Assessment of Lipid Nanocapsules and Liposomes as Nanocarriers for C6 Ceramide Delivery to Breast Cancer Cells
Get PDFCeramides, a class of bioactive sphingolipids, have been shown to contribute to various cellular and signalling events. C6, as a short-chain ceramide, is considered the most potent ceramide which can inhibit proliferation and induce pro-apoptotic effects in specific cancer cells, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the therapeutic application of ceramides is limited due to their poor water-solubility and susceptibility to enzymatic degradation. Therefore, encapsulating ceramides into nanoparticles may be required to increase intracellular levels and generally enhance ceramide efficacy. This study investigates the use of lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) as a suitable alternative to liposome for ceramide delivery. The presence of C6 ceramide had no major impact on the physico-chemical properties of LNCs, but did affected liposome properties. LNCs formulations had greater stability under storage (at 4℃) and cell culture conditions than liposomes. Also, liposomes were more likely to aggregate at high salt concentrations. C6 ceramide-loaded nanoparticles (LNCs-C6 and liposome-C6) were more cytotoxic than equivalent ghost nanoparticles (LNCs-ghost and liposome-ghost) towards MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. C6 ceramide was confirmed to induce cancer cell death through apoptosis and caspase-3/7 activation. Encapsulating ceramide did not limit its pharmacology activity on TNBC cells, and in some cases mildly enhanced its efficacy with LNCs-C6 seen to be slightly more effective than liposome-C6. These results provide further insight into the application of LNCs as a compatible nanocarrier for ceramide delivery and offer a viable platform for future development of anticancer drug-loaded ceramide LNCs for combination therapy in cancer treatment
'A Hand Up, Not a Hand-Out', New Labour and Street Homelessness 1997-2010
Get PDFThis research examines the impact of the New Labour government on street homelessness across their three terms of office from 1997 to 2010.
Grounded in the oral testimonies of those who designed and delivered New Labour’s homelessness policies, it concludes that Labour’s achievements in reducing street homelessness were real and significant. Challenging interpretations of New Labour’s interventions as ‘revanchist’ in intent, it shows instead that Labour enacted a coherent and sustained programme, driven from the centre of government, that focused on developing long-term solutions to rough sleeping. It shows that Labour utilised novel and innovative methods of governance to reduce the high levels of rough sleeping it inherited on attaining office, devised new methods of addressing homeless prevention, and instituted policies designed to empower former rough sleepers to permanently escape homelessness. To achieve its aims, New Labour facilitated significant improvements in the scale, scope and working practices of the voluntary sector homeless agencies that delivered its programme.
This research also shows that New Labour’s homelessness policies were enacted in accord with its stated ‘Third Way’ ideology. Given the efficacy of its street homelessness programme, it argues that the Third Way deserves more serious attention than it is commonly afforded, both as an ideology and a mechanism of governance. In addition, as Labour’s commitment to addressing street homelessness was sustained long after press and public interest had declined, this research challenges a common characterisation of New Labour as being primarily concerned with maintaining a positive public image at the expense of delivering on social policy objectives.
By focussing on the mechanisms of government and the processes employed in the delivery of Labour’s homelessness policies, this research also offers a broader challenge to the writing of political history. Arguing that the process of transferring rhetoric into policy, and policy aims into actual improvements in the quality of citizens lives, is perhaps the most important task of government, it calls for a greater prominence to be given to delivery of social policy aims in assessments of governments’ performance in office and in the writing of political histories
Postprandial aminoacidemia and appetite responses to a novel salmon-derived protein peptide in young healthy adults
Get PDFMuscle plays a vital role in our body’s health and relies on ingestion of amino acids in order to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS). Research is endeavouring to search for novel, high-quality, sustainable protein sources, capable of supporting muscle mass globally. Marine protein hydrolysates offer a potential sustainable source of high-quality protein, although little research to-date has explored their postprandial aminoacidemic responses. This study investigated the postprandial aminoacidemic and appetite responses following ingestion of a novel Salmon Protein Peptide (SPP) supplement, compared with a dose-matched Milk Protein Isolate (MPI). 11 young healthy individuals (6 Male and 5 Female) took part in this randomized single-blind crossover study. After an overnight fast, participants consumed either SPP or MPI at a protein-matched dose of 0.3g/kg BM. Blood samples were taken before protein intake and periodically for 240minutes post-ingestion. Visual analog scales were utilized throughout to determine changes in perceived appetite, alongside a food diary and ad-libitum meal following the trial period to determine changes to dietary composition. Peak plasma values for total amino acid (SPP: 5004 ±296 vs. MPI: 3719 ±302μmol·L-1, p<0.001), non-essential amino acid (SPP: 3376 ±197 vs. MPI: 2287 ±173μmol·L-1, p<0.001), glycine (SPP: 456 ±24 vs. MPI: 284 ±33μmol·L-1, p<0.001), hydroxyproline (SPP: 74.9 ±6.6 vs. MPI: 28.3 ±2.6 μmol·L-1, p<0.001) and proline levels (SPP: 469 ±29 vs. MPI: 335 ±25 μmol·L-1, p=0.029) were significantly greater following SPP consumption and all demonstrated significantly greater iAUC values (all p<0.05). No differences were observed in plasma EAA levels between proteins (peak EAA levels = SPP: 1361 ±196 vs. MPI: 1340 ±166μmol·L-1, p=0.658; iAUC, p=0.551). Peak leucine levels did not significantly differ between proteins (SPP: 250 ±32 vs. MPI: 246 ±31μmol·L-1; p=0.657); however, leucine levels were significantly higher overall following MPI consumption (iAUC, p=0.011). Fat intake was significantly reduced compared to habitual diet following both SPP and MPI (1.0±0.6g/kg/day, p=0.0156; 1.0±0.4g/kg/day, p=0.0236, respectively). No differences in plasma insulin, glucose or appetite were observed between supplements. To conclude, SPP demonstrated great promise as a high-quality protein source when compared to MPI, although further investigation is needed to determine if SPP’s postprandial aminoacidemia can robustly stimulate MPS
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