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Multi-scale drivers of wildfire danger in temperate Europe
Get PDFWildfire danger is increasing within temperate ecosystems that have not historically been prone to extreme wildfires. To date, assessments of wildfire danger have typically been constrained to coarse spatial scales using systems that were developed within traditionally fire prone regions. However, the processes controlling wildfire danger operate across spatiotemporal scales, supporting the need for a more holistic approach to assessing wildfire danger that recognises the multi-scale requirements of different decision-making needs. An understanding of the underlying controls on components of wildfire danger is especially needed in understudied, emerging fire prone landscapes like the peatlands and heathlands of temperate Europe, where fine-scale heterogeneity can be important for wildfire danger and fuels differ to those in traditionally fire prone landscapes.
This PhD thesis examined the multi-scale drivers of wildfire danger in temperate Europe at the synoptic, landscape, and plot scales through four research papers, finding: (1) Europe-wide, extreme fire weather and wildfires are more likely to occur during persistent, anomalous atmospheric blocking. (2) Fuel moisture content is highly variable at the landscape level, creating on/off thresholding of live fuel availability for wildfire spread and vulnerability of the organic layer to smouldering combustion associated with landscape controls. (3) This cross-landscape fuel moisture variability significantly impacts simulated wildfire behaviour. (4) Among-sampler variability is a relevant source of measurement error in fuel moisture campaigns that is important to consider and account for to isolate fuel moisture dynamics at broad spatial scales.
This PhD thesis contributes to our understanding of the multi-scale processes controlling wildfire danger in temperate ecosystems by demonstrating that weather patterns at large spatial extents have a key impact on wildfire occurrence and surface fire weather in the synoptic temporal range. However, there is a clear need to understand landscape-level fuel moisture dynamics that are masked using current regional estimates. This is shown to be relevant for improving fire behaviour predictions in the dominant fuel types in temperate fire prone ecosystems by indicating that fire behaviour models are sensitive to fine-scale landscape fuel moisture variability. Finally, in a drive to scale-up fuel moisture field campaigns using measurements collected from different samplers, it has been possible to isolate the likely measurement error within intensive fuel measurement campaigns that are essential for understanding spatiotemporal fuel moisture dynamics. The results of this thesis have implications for wildfire preparedness, land and fire management decision-making, embedding citizen science into wildfire research, and understanding future wildfire risk. A holistic approach to wildfire danger research will ultimately allow for the development of fuel models, fire behaviour models, and wildfire danger rating systems that meet the diversity of decision-making needs and spatial complexity of wildfire danger both in temperate emerging fire prone regions and beyond
Understanding physical performance data: an investigation into the use of information in the support of player development in elite academy soccer
Get PDFSoccer is becoming an ever more physically challenging sport, demanding athletes to possess a myriad of high-level physical capacities. Performance practitioners, providing physical support to soccer players, utilise technology and monitoring systems to gather data on their players physical status, and support decision making. Whilst research has begun to explore the use of collected data, thus far, none has examined the holistic approach to monitoring and the potential impact physical performance data can have on club-based decision making.
The initial phase of the project aimed to present a multi-club investigation to detail current physical performance monitoring practices, and opinions of elite soccer practitioners. Utilising an online survey, respondents highlighted the presence of a multitude of technologies, monitoring areas, and manners of data analysis. Whilst practitioners noted an increase in the data collected, only a quarter of clubs operated with a specialist data practitioner. Furthermore, practitioners evidenced redundancy in data collected, along with complex systems of data processing. Positively, practitioners did feel their monitoring practices provided a return on investment and allowed them to achieve their aims. Whilst data is certainly supporting practice within soccer clubs, this study presented concerns regarding the efficacy of current monitoring practices.
The second phase of the project increased focus on physical performance data processes. By combining observational analysis with interviews, the study aimed to determine the processes of physical performance data monitoring within an ‘example’ club. A wealth of data was collected across wellbeing, pitch-based loading, gym-based performance, and physical capacity testing. Despite evidence of data use to support the player development process, inefficiencies were again identified. Despite regular data feedback, coaching staff did not fully engage with the data. They were also shown to place reliance on their performance staff to feedback key insights. It was suggested this may be through a lack of understanding, or lack of interest in the data. It also confirmed the importance of effective and trusting relationships between performance and coaching staff.
The third phase aimed to enhance the efficacy and efficiency of physical performance monitoring through a modified feedback strategy. The first study of phase three aimed to extract insightful metrics that would be used in the feedback strategy. Results highlighted the importance of understanding the associations between changes in performance, and the complexity of physical development. Nonetheless, data highlighted the potential that manipulation of training demand to increase players’ exposure to distance covered, and internal demand, may promote a more challenging physiological stimulus, that could result in positive fitness adaptations.
This finding was used to inform the intervention process in the modification of club-based feedback strategies within the second study of phase three. The intervention successfully impacted change within the club. Through increasing coaches awareness and understanding of data, whilst reducing the amount of data presented to them in reports, training demand increased. During post-intervention interviews with coaching staff, it was clear that the positive impact of the intervention was due to this combined approach.
This research highlights the importance of ensuring collected data is accurate, informative and effectively translated to stakeholders. Through education of the importance and impact of data, physical performance information can have an impact upon the player development process within soccer clubs
Scientific workflow scheduling in distributed systems using structure learning
No full textThis research investigates workflow scheduling in distributed resources (e.g., Cloud Computing). We specifically concentrated on addressing various workflow scheduling challenges, including dealing with complex workflow structures, minimising the time complexity of algorithms, optimising the execution time of workflows (makespan), and accurately estimating performance. First, we proposed a novel Bottom-Up Top-Down Recursive Neural Network (BUTD RecNN) model, a structure learning algorithm relevant to managing complex workflow structures. We then developed an innovative task duplication scheduling algorithm that uses the proposed structure learning model (RecNN). Task duplication scheduling algorithms are designed to reduce the high communication costs associated with data-dependent tasks. The BUTD RecNN model can learn from historical duplication decisions on workflows (represented as DAGs) to efficiently produce duplication recommendations for new unseen workflows. This approach is tested on collections of Montage workflows. The second focus of this research is scheduling in dynamic environments where scheduling information is either incomplete or partially available. We explored whether incorporating the workflow structure specifically can lead to more accurate estimations of task execution requirements. By leveraging the recursive nature of the network, the model effectively captures the hierarchical dependencies and relationships within complex workflows, leading to more precise and efficient task scheduling predictions. We compare the estimation accuracy of a graph learning neural network, Recursive Neural Network (RecNN), with two standard prediction models (that do not consider the workflow structure), a linear and non-linear regression. We trained the prediction models by utilising two scientific workflows: Montage and LIGO. The execution time (makespan) comparison of the newly generated workflows with the original set of workflows shows that the RecNN model estimates the task information more accurately than linear and non-linear regression models, and the makespan of the workflow generated by the estimated values by RecNN is closer to the makespan of the original workflows. The result shows that explicitly considering the workflow structure through structure learning models can considerably improve workflow scheduling in distributed systems such as Cloud. We then proposed a framework to integrate structure learning into existing workflow management systems. This framework aims to enhance the capabilities of these systems by incorporating advanced structure learning techniques, which can improve the efficiency and accuracy of task scheduling and execution
The development of an FPGA-based NMR spectrometer for condensed matter physics and measurements of the static and dynamic properties of the Haldane chain compound NiI2(3,5 lut)4
Get PDFNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques can be used to probe the local magnetic environment of a compound. Over time, advancements in computing have led to the digitisation of NMR spectrometers in order to provide more stable and efficient measurement instruments. This thesis presents a fully digitised NMR spectrometer based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) for use in condensed matter NMR experiments. The transmitter can generate three, phase-configurable, RF pulses of frequencies up to 800 MHz, whilst the receiver can process signals up to 400 MHz. The full NMR set-up was tested by successfully measuring the spin echo signal from 59Co powder at 213 MHz. Quantum spin models have been a subject of interest in condensed matter physics since their introduction in theearly 20th century. The range of interactions within these models has led to the observation of a wide variety of exotic quantum phenomena. In particular, the Spin-1 chain hosts an exotic gapped state where there is a finite energy gap between the ground and excited states. This thesis presents magnetisation, heat capacity and 13C NMR measurements on the Spin-1 chain sample NiI2(3 ,5 lut)4 to characterise the predicted attractive Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid (TLL) state. The magnetisation measurements investigated scaling behaviour around the low-field quantum critical point at the critical field Hc = 4.4 T but demonstrated poor agreement with the theoretical predictions. The heat capacity measurements found no evidence for the existence of the TLL phase down to a temperature of 2 K. The 13C relaxation time constant T1 was found to follow a power law dependence on temperature with an exponent of approximately α = −1.25, outside the range of an attractive TLL
Direct model reference adaptive control of nutrient removal at activated sludge wastewater treatment plant
Get PDFThe population growth correlates with an increase in the volume of wastewater generated through daily activities, exacerbating environmental issues. Therefore, countries have proposed stricter wastewater purification and discharge standards. Consequently, the control community is increasingly interested in researching the efficacy and discharge standards of wastewater treatment plants. This thesis proposes designing different architectures for activated sludge wastewater treatments to address various wastewater requirements. Additionally, it suggests designing and applying advanced control systems to enhance the efficiency of wastewater treatment and ensure compliance with emission quality standards
Cutting Shakespeare: promptbook practice at the Royal Shakespeare Company, 1961 – 2021
Get PDFFor decades, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has kept promptbooks from past productions, in particular Shakespearean productions, housed in the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT)’s archives. The accretion of stage, sound and light queues, casting documents, rehearsal notes and so on in a promptbook renders it a fascinating artefact by which the ephemeral (live theatre) is rendered permanent in print. It is also notable for capturing the process and the product of how the production has cut Shakespeare. Directors at the RSC, particularly under the artistic directorship of Gregory Doran (2012-2022), have often turned to these promptbooks to understand how previous directors cut the play for performance, as part of preparing their own cut for productions on the stage. Scholarship has, by-and-large, overlooked the relationship between cutting and shifting approaches to Shakespeare’s works. This thesis looks to use these promptbooks as a means of understanding how the process of cutting Shakespeare has evolved over time, specifically during the first sixty years (1961-2021) of the RSC’s history.
Chapter One of the thesis weighs up two of Shakespeare’s “tragic texts”, Hamlet and King Lear – the two most towering tragedies, which also happen to survive in multiple variant texts – and specifically how directors have approached (or ignored) the variant texts in preparing their cuts, and what that reveals about the relationship between textual and theatrical editing. Chapter Two moves on to three of Shakespeare’s comedies – The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It and Measure for Measure – each of which is often perceived now as complicated by various outdated modes, be they of language, gender expectations, or humour. In Chapter Three, I consider theatrical abridgement in the three Henry VI plays, compared with how directors approach King John (as an infrequently performed, stand-alone history play). I will then elucidate how modern theatrical intervention in the history plays is part of a wider tradition of alterations made in the name of historical fiction, in which Shakespeare himself was taking part. Finally, in Chapter Four, I look to the fringes of Shakespearean canon and stage history, to three barely performed and co-authored plays: Pericles, Timon of Athens, and The Two Noble Kinsmen. Marginalised from the canon, from the stage in general, and often from the RSC’s main Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) stage to their smaller Swan Theatre stage, the approach to these plays reveals much about how directors approach both Shakespeare and not-Shakespeare. Bookending these four chapters are an Introduction, which explores the intertwined histories of promptbooks and cutting and lays out the key strands of the thesis, and a Conclusion, which ties together these strands to establish a rough “Grand Unified Theory of Cutting Shakespeare”, while also considering whether any kind of discrete cutting practice can be identified at the RSC
Towards a livity gospel hermeneutic for youth in the postcolonial Caribbean
Get PDFThe New Testament serves as a vital resource for Christian Education within the Postcolonial Caribbean. Formerly, scholars have examined the effects of coloniality on the ways in which the region interacts with scripture. However, I advocate for the use of such insights among young people whose critical engagement with scripture at this stage in their life can inculcate more robust and emancipatory faith experiences.
The Pastoral Epistles offer insight into the ways in which women served as moral educators among young people in the Early Church. Such women included Lois and Eunice whose authentic faith indicated an embodiment of “life in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:1b). Using scripture, they helped to prepare youth for ongoing discipleship as adults. This thesis uses 2 Timothy 1:1-7 as a test case to examine the Christian education practices among youth of the Early Church. Postcolonial optics alongside the historical-critical and other methods help to establish a biblical foundation for the creation of a Livity Gospel Hermeneutic (LGH). This hermeneutic describes a reading strategy for nurturing “life in Christ Jesus” among young people as they engage both the biblical text and the rich text of Caribbean experience.
This research examines how young people in the postcolonial Caribbean generate meaning through their interaction with the New Testament. With such insight, another approach to reading the New Testament with young people is tendered as a potentially emancipatory hermeneutic for stimulating Christian maturity among youth in the 21st Century Caribbean
Self-adaptation in Human-in-the-Loop Cyber-Physical Systems using digital twins
Get PDFHuman-in-the-Loop Cyber-Physical Systems (HitLCPS) allow individuals to assume diverse roles within the system, interacting with various Cyber-Physical System (CPS) components to achieve common objectives.
Engineering HitLCPS presents several challenges. Firstly, orchestrating services involving humans and machines as service providers requires considering human values and the distinct characteristics of humans and machines. Secondly, as self-adaptive systems, CPS must adapt to environmental contexts characterised by various uncertainties to achieve their goals.
This thesis presents a conceptual reference model for HitLCPS that considers the diverse roles of humans in the CPS and their characteristics, which involve human values. We also demonstrate how to incorporate three distributive justice principles into task allocation in human-machine contexts. Lastly, we propose a framework for decision-making under uncertainty resulting from different levels of observability in the environment. Specifically, we introduce a multi-reward Markov decision process for mixed observabilities, which is evaluated using scenarios such as remote data mirroring and credit card payment systems.
Digital twin architecture offers flexibility for experimenting with various what-if scenarios and simulating scenarios that real-world datasets may not capture. We utilise digital twins to conduct comprehensive evaluations and to enable self-adaptation in HitLCPS through our proposed methods.
Evaluation results indicate that our proposals perform favourably compared to the baselines. Our reference model provides a high level of completeness, adaptability, accuracy, clarity, and consistency; our multi-objective fairness approach yields better overall fairness in various scenarios; and our decision-making framework can better satisfy the non-functional requirements and provide better trade-offs
Nanobioengineering strategies for bone repair: osteoblast-derived extracellular vesicles and their mimetics
Get PDFIntroduction: Nanobioengineering strategies combine recent advances in nanotechnologies with bioengineering methods to accelerate the development of nanotherapeutics. In the last decade, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been intensively researched as an innovative acellular approach to overcome the current limitations of cell-based therapeutic solutions. For bone repair, EVs derived from osteoblasts have exhibited a strong osteogenic potency highlighting their potential as the next generation of bone regenerative therapy. Nevertheless, the clinical translation of EVs remains hindered by several barriers including scale-up and purity. Aims: The aim of this project was to advance the development of nanotherapeutics for bone repair by harnessing the potential of osteoblast-derived EVs. Comprehensively characterised, the osteoinductive capacity of mineralising-osteoblast-derived EVs (MO-EVs) was evaluated to determine their therapeutic relevance with the development of an innovative functional assay. Based on these results, synthetic MO-EVs were then developed and produced as bioinspired mimetics overcoming translational hurdles. Finally, the formulation of a hydrogel 3D system was investigated to develop a new delivery strategy for EVs suited to bone repair applications.
Methods: MO-EVs were separated using differential ultracentrifugation after comparing isolation methods. MO-EVs were fully characterised to determine their physico-chemical properties, the validation of the presence of EV biomarkers as well as their storage conditions. The composition of MO-EVs was also determined with a particular focus on protein content via a proteomic analysis and on mineral content. The effects of MO-EVs on osteoblast migration and proliferation were assessed as well as their osteogenic potency on osteoblast cultures. To that end, an innovative biomineralisation in vitro assessment method was also developed harnessing the potential of μ-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Using both top-down and bottom-up approaches, synthetic MO-EVs were formulated, and both were compared to the biological activity of MO-EVs. Cell-derived nanovesicles were generated from mineralising osteoblasts (MO-NVs) via serial extrusion, whereas proteoliposomes were formulated using the thin film hydration method. An injectable alginate/collagen hydrogel system was developed harnessing the potential of competitive ligand exchange cross-linking gelation.
Results: MO-EVs were successfully isolated via ultracentrifugation and their extensive characterisation revealed the presence of key proteins such as annexins as well as minerals which can be mechanistically linked to their pro osteogenic potency which was demonstrated in vitro on osteoblasts. Moreover, MO-EVs were found to modulate mineral production in a time- and dose- dependent manner as demonstrated by μ-XRF. Both synthetic EVs were successfully formulated presenting with MO-EVs features and the incorporation of both alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and annexin VI was validated. Nevertheless, neither of these synthetic EVs matched the activity of the MO-EVs. Finally, alginate-collagen composite hydrogels were successfully produced, and the MO-EV release kinetics was found dependent on the collagen concentration.
Conclusion: In this thesis, novel insights were provided supporting the therapeutic use of MO- EVs for bone repair. Through the use of bioengineering strategies, the foundations of the development of synthetic MO-EVs were laid. Associated with the successful development of an injectable hydrogel delivery system for these nanovesicles, the work presented has supported the development of MO-EV based therapies for bone repair
How does the Caribbean Creole Cuisine advertise to the Ladywood constituency's superdiversity scene?
Get PDFThis research asks how do Caribbean restaurants and takeaways use their signage to advertise to the superdiverse Ladywood constituency. This thesis builds on the insights of Cook and Harrison (2003) who explored the success of Caribbean produce and questioned whether such success is confined to placement in British supermarkets and catering to mainstream tastes. By addressing this question, their study highlighted the potential for Caribbean produce to appeal to an alternative diverse and global market. Whilst this thesis does not focus on the success of the Caribbean restaurants and takeaways it does focus on the potential to serve an alternative superdiverse audience in the Ladywood constituency.
Employing photography and Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006) Visual Grammar Framework, this study asks how do Caribbean restaurants and takeaways use their signage to attract the superdiverse Ladywood constituency whilst examining how the Caribbean creole cuisine evolves within an increasingly diverse locale.
Several ways were discovered in which Caribbean eatery signage targets a superdiverse audience. The implementation of delivery systems broadened access to a wider socioeconomic audience, with delivery symbols serving as a commercial seal of approval. Additionally, the use of halal wording was notable, as many shops offered halal produce even when the religion does not have prominence in the Caribbean region. Third, the use of palm trees and Caribbean-associated colours underscored global meanings, as these symbols universally represent the Caribbean and hold significance in superdiverse areas.
Furthermore, the food images on the signage in this research are categorised into two groups: old creole and new creole. The old creole reflected the traditional Caribbean cuisine, influenced by other nationalities due to slavery, indentured servitude, and colonialism. Despite these historical connotations, the food offered something for many minorities, especially in the superdiverse Ladywood constituency due to cultural overlaps. The new creole incorporated British and American elements which have been added further since the arrival of the food to the UK, reflecting British and American influence and the varied generational diets within the Caribbean community.
Elements of the Caribbean eatery signage clearly advertise to the superdiverse Ladywood constituency through multimodal messaging that involves different sizing, colouring, and positioning of the different modes mentioned above. This thesis not only introduces superdiversity into the discussion of creolisation, but also creolises the concept of superdiversity itself, offering a minority Caribbean perspective on the concept
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