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The Effect of Novel Anti-Infectives Across the Meningococcal Infective Pathway and in a 3D Blood-Brain Barrier Spheroid Model
No full textThermodynamic and kinetic modelling on the microstructure and mechanical behaviour of Mg-Zn-Ca(-Ag) alloys based on CALPHAD approach
Get PDFAdvances in lightweight structural materials have intensified interest in magnesium alloys, particularly those strengthened by Zn, Ca, and Ag additions. This research presents a comprehensive study of the thermodynamic and kinetic behaviour of Mg-Zn-Ca and Mg-Zn-Ca-Ag alloys using an integrated CALPHAD-based modelling and experimental approach. The solidification process is analysed using an extended Scheil model, capturing non-equilibrium phase evolution and solute segregation during casting. A mean-field model is developed to simulate the nucleation, growth, and coarsening of strengthening phases during heat treatment, enabling the prediction of precipitate evolution over time. Together, these models provide a framework for simulating phase transformations across the entire processing route from casting to homogenisation and ageing treatment.
The modelling results are supported and validated by advanced characterisation and mechanical experiments. Zn is shown to play a central role in age-hardening by promoting the formation of fine strengthening precipitates. Ca is beneficial in refining grain structure and modifying texture and tends to form Laves phases during solidification. These coarse particles are thermodynamically stable and dissolve slowly during homogenisation, limiting solute uniformity. Ag additions can promote mechanical performance by accelerating the nucleation of fine precipitates, improving strengthening responses. By linking CALPHAD predictions with observed microstructure and mechanical behaviour, this work establishes a predictive design strategy for magnesium alloys.
These findings are directly applicable to the development of lightweight structural materials, aligning with Industry 4.0 schemes that include data-driven materials design and digital manufacturing. By integrating Scheil-based solidification modelling and mean-field simulations within a CALPHAD framework, this research shows how computational tools can aid digital alloy development. These simulations frameworks enable virtual prototyping, optimise thermal processing routes, and reduce experimental workload, which accelerating the transition from concept to application in smart manufacturing environments
How can we enable synergic action to support sustainable transformations?
Get PDFTransformations are occurring across our social and ecological systems, often in detrimental ways. Our systems are fragmented and silo-ways of working persist, inhibiting coherence of actions across different parts of our systems. As such, we need different approaches to align goals, interventions and policies for systemic change. We also require mindset and value shifts that align with a more sustainable future. There is also the need for the right kind of operational concepts to support systemic change and encourage collaborations across traditional socio-political boundaries. One such concept that could support systemic change, is the concept of synergy.
Synergy is generally defined as the interaction or cooperation between two or more agents,
organisations or parts, that produces a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. However, there is limited understanding of the concept of synergy and a critical research gap in understanding how to apply the concept of synergy in practice (i.e. synergic action) and its enablers. This thesis therefore explored the overarching question of how to enable synergic action to support transformations for sustainable futures.\ud
Using a range of qualitative methods, this thesis resulted in three key findings that altogether provided five key insights that will enable synergic action to support transformations for sustainable futures. If we are to genuinely enable synergic action, we need to: 1) Foster type 3 synergic action; 2) Take a whole systems approach; 3) Build capabilities; 4) Foster intentional synergic action; and 5) Amplify action research and co-creative learning. Thus, we not only need to rethink what synergy entails and move towards new forms of synergic action but also explicitly engage with synergic action, further supported by particular kinds of capabilities. Thus, this research has practical implications for how diverse actors approach change and deliver synergic action to support transformations
Semi-colonialism in Crisis: Shanghai Municipal Police and Urban Governance in the 1920s-1940s
No full textThis thesis presents an in-depth study of the Shanghai Municipal Council's grassroots urban governance in the Shanghai International Settlement during the 1920s and 1940s, focusing on its principal policing vehicle, the Shanghai Municipal Police. This period was unprecedentedly demanding for the SMC due to social, economic and moral crises manifested by overcrowding, labour disputes, prostitution and indecency. Moreover, the SMC confronted a legitimacy crisis as social and political bodies, notably the Chinese Communist Party, the Guomindang (Nationalist Party), and the Japanese authorities, vied for intervention in the Settlement's governance. The interactions between the SMP and ordinary Chinese became a primary site of contestation, enabling different actors to intervene in SMC's urban management, disrupt urban order, and undermine the operations of semi-colonialism in China. Concentrating on the SMP's policing activities in four areas: labour disputes, informal settlements, prostitution, and obscenity, the thesis highlights the SMP's flexibility and conciliation in addressing complex urban issues during the crisis of semi-colonialism.
This study offers a nuanced analysis of semi-colonial policing, exploring when, why, and how the SMP strategically de-escalated coercion and adopted flexible tactics in handling urban problems involving grassroots Chinese communities. The thesis argues that the SMP's flexibility was largely due to the resistance and organising of Chinese residents across spheres of urban life. It emphasises the agency of ordinary Chinese who sought to carve out opportunities within the limited options. By examining police work at the lower levels of society, the thesis contributes to the scholarship on the formations and arrangements of semi-colonialism in China. It highlights the vulnerability and limits of semi-colonial authority in the 1920s and 1940s, evident in changing municipal priorities, policies and policing practices, and offers a grassroots perspective on imperial retreat that historians have more often approached through diplomacy and the rise of nationalist parties in China
Animating Saudi: Animation in Saudi Film, TV and Online
No full textThis thesis focuses on the burgeoning animation industry in Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has undergone significant government restructuring which directly led to the flourishing of national industries such as tourism, sports, film, and animation. These developments significantly impacted the production of Saudi animated media and have also influenced the prospects of animation professionals working in neighbouring Arab countries. This thesis takes on a holistic approach to examining the development of Saudi animation by positioning it within the larger framework of Arab animation studies. It aims to discuss the role that Saudi animation plays in a national context, while simultaneously discussing it as part of a greater whole i.e., a contribution to the wider landscape of Arab animated media. This thesis therefore examines the development of the contemporary Saudi animation industry in relation to the regional, cultural and historic trends that affected the development of animation in the Arab World. It focuses on the ways in which cultural identity is mediated in animation, particularly in terms of the utilisation of the Arabic language and its inherent cultural traditions by means of textual analysis. Additionally, the research undertaken for this thesis includes original interviews with Arab and Saudi animation professionals. These findings offer a valuable understanding of the practical side of the Saudi animation industry, as well as provide insight into the ways in which contemporary Saudi and Arab animators approach the mediation of cultural identity in their craft. This thesis also presents original creative works that test how tradition and modernity converge in a Saudi animated context in order to develop new approaches to animating movement, developing visual aesthetics and formulating contemporary narratives and characters. These works also explore the creative and practical needs of animators working in the industry today, in order to better understand the current state of the Saudi animation industry, the content that it produces and propagates, as well as the kind of content it aspires to produce in the future
The transition and optimisation of turbulence in pipe flow
No full textUnderstanding transitional and full turbulence in pipe flow is of great significance for engineering applications. This thesis focuses on isothermal and heated pipe flow, which have different requirements of turbulence. The former needs flow to keep laminar to reduce frictional drag, while the latter prefers turbulence to enhance heat transfer. These two types of flow are researched to understand and optimise their transition between laminar and turbulence. The thesis first focuses on the isothermal pipe flow, and applies
the nonlinear variational method to find invariant solutions. Such a method allows for identifying the invariant solutions at low Reynolds number, making it possible to understand transition from the perspective of a dynamical system. Then, linear and nonlinear variational methods are developed to optimise laminarisation. The nonlinear method allows to identify a minimal force to laminarise turbulence, and the linear method targets reducing transient growth to eliminate turbulence. The focus next switches to the heated pipe, aiming to understand the buoyancy-affected transitional flow and heat transfer optimisation. A new DNS model is set up for the simulation of heated pipe flow, which considers a time-varying background temperature gradient and two types of temperature boundary conditions. The heated pipe flow at different buoyancy strengths (measured by a dimensionless parameter C, which is the ratio of buoyancy force to pumping force) is investigated by nonlinear nonmodal stability analysis. The amplitude of the minimal seed is found to be larger at a larger C. Some important invariant solutions, which represent the self-sustaining process of convective turbulence, are identified. Finally, the nonlinear variational method is applied to optimise heat transfer in heated pipe flow. Optimisations are performed in the laminar, shear turbulence and convective turbulence. A more efficient body force is found by optimisations for unsteady states, compared to optimisations for a steady laminar state
Blasphemy and Apostasy in the UK Asylum System: Policy and Practice in Asylum Cases Submitted Under Grounds of Non-Religiosity
Get PDFThis thesis explores the lived experiences of non-religious asylum seekers and refugees in the United Kingdom (UK). While religious persecution is recognised in the Refugee Convention (1951) as grounds for asylum, apostates within the British asylum system face significant obstacles to obtaining protection, which remain under-explored in the existing academic literature. This thesis employs qualitative research methods, including semi-structured interviews and document analysis. It encompasses the experiences of individuals who have sought (or are seeking) asylum in the UK (n = 12) as well as the accounts of human rights advocates who assist these individuals (n = 22). Furthermore, an analysis of fundamental human rights laws regarding freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and Home Office asylum policies has been conducted. The theoretical perspectives of lived non-religion, coloniality of power, and bureaucracy are utilised to conceptualise apostate asylum through three analytical trajectories. First, I explore the journeys of ‘becoming’ non-religious to elucidate the lived experience and banal forms of non-religiosity. I argue that apostasy can be understood through iterative ‘unlearning’ and ‘learning’ processes. As a result of these factors, participants faced fear of persecution and sought asylum in the UK. Second, the theme of ‘bureaucratising’ examines how asylum bureaucracy contributes to the (re)production of what it means to be a ‘credible’ apostate in need of protection. Third, the theme of ‘negotiating’ evaluates the effects of persistent colonial imaginaries on the representation of non-religiosity in the asylum assessment processes for apostates. The findings provide nuance to the field of migration studies by challenging scholarship that characterises refugees and their modes of belonging solely through the lens of religion. Additionally, it enhances understanding of apostasy and the identities formed as individuals leave religion. This research impacts not only the evaluation of non-religious claims, but also similar claims based on personal beliefs, including those concerning sexuality
Patient Reported Outcome Measures for Mental Health: Development and Pragmatic Evaluation in the NHS
Get PDFBackground: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are standardised questionnaires or interviews that elicit subjective reports of health. They have growing potential for improving patient-centred care and decision making. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends considering their use at regular points in the treatment pathway for common mental health conditions and physical problems such as cancer.
Aims: To assess the feasibility, acceptability and usefulness of implementing four established PROMS: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), Short Warwick & Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS) and Distress Thermometer (DT), and to pilot two novel ‘developed for purpose’ satisfaction tools: Carers’ & Users’ Expectations of Service (CUES) and Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL).
Setting: Mental health multidisciplinary teams within the UK National Health Service.
Methods: Outcomes evaluated were mental/physical symptoms, emotional distress, life/service satisfaction and global quality of life. Designs were pragmatic, including quantitative and mixed methods, cross sectional and prospective before and after studies.
Results: The thesis comprises five original research publications and three academic linked papers. Where assessed, PROM acceptability and completion rates were high (76-98%), leading to changes in care in 49% cases. Following therapeutic interventions, a large clinical effect size was observed: within community mental health teams PHQ-9, GAD-7 scores and functioning all improved (Cohen’s d = 0.52-0.77). In cancer psychology services, median distress (DT) scores decreased significantly (Wilcoxon’s z = -4.83, p<0.001, Cohen’s d =1.22). Sensitivity to change was greater for ReQoL, PHQ-9, GAD-7 and DT than for SWEMWBS.
Conclusions: This body of research provides cumulative evidence that validated mental health PROMS can reliably assess meaningful changes at key stages in a patient’s journey, with apparent absence of significant harms. PROMS should be more widely integrated into frontline care, to inform individual treatment planning and contribute to service improvements
Polymorphism and Doping of NaxFeyMn1-yO2 Cathode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries
No full textSodium-ion batteries present a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries. In line with sustainability principles, this study explores NaxFeyMn1-yO2 synthesised via biotemplating approach, systematically examining factors influencing polymorph formation, including calcination conditions, precursor oxidation states, and oxygen content. Thermal-dependent phase behaviour revealed tuneable and reversible O3-P3 phase ratios., with P3 phase formation favoured by increased precursor oxidation states in oxygen-rich environments.
Electrochemical performance showed strong dependence on phase composition. An O3-rich phase Na0.9Fe0.5Mn0.5O2, with 80% O3, delivered an initial capacity of 134 mAh/g and 82% capacity retention, while a P3-rich phase achieved 165 mAh/g with satisfactory retention. Al doping in materials enhanced Na diffusion pathways, with Na0.9Al0.1Fe0.45Mn0.45O2 demonstrating superior performance—154 mAh/g initial capacity and 76% retention after 50 cycles.
These findings highlight the critical interplay between structural polymorphism and battery performance, offering a pathway for optimising sodium-ion cathodes through controlled phase formation and strategic doping. Further studies could explore polymorph behaviour and structural evolution to advance sodium-ion battery technologies
Making Deep Learning Robust to Real-World Adversarial Examples
No full textDeep neural networks (DNNs) have achieved state-of-the-art performance in many real-world applications but remain critically vulnerable to adversarial examples—inputs containing imperceptible perturbations that mislead models into making incorrect predictions. This thesis investigates the underlying causes of such vulnerabilities and proposes multi-layered defence strategies to enhance robustness. Three complementary approaches are developed: (1) a Gradient Modelling-Based Neutralisation method that uses the statistical distribution of DNN gradients to suppress adversarial noise; (2) hybrid architectures that integrate wavelet scattering features with deep representations, including a region-of-interest aware 3D ResNet for medical imaging; and (3) the Adversarial Awareness Score, which detects adversarial inputs and guides adaptive regularisation during training. Experimental validation across large-scale natural image datasets and clinical CT/MRI scans demonstrates that the proposed methods improve resilience against a wide spectrum of attacks while maintaining strong accuracy on clean data. The findings advance understanding of adversarial vulnerability and provide practical, reproducible techniques for deploying trustworthy AI in safety-critical domains such as autonomous driving and healthcare
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