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A multi-objective transmission reinforcement planning approach for analysing future energy scenarios in the GB network
Get PDFDue to increasing worldwide environmental concern, the United Kingdom (UK) government, under the Climate Change Act (2008), has set a target of at least an 80% reduction in the net UK carbon account, from baseline 1990 levels, by 2050. Recently there has been a rise in the number of low-carbon policy related studies, creating a growing number of national energy scenarios, some of which achieve the emission targets for 2050. A key aspect of evaluating the technical and economic impact of these energy scenarios is in assessing the associated effect on the electrical transmission network. As a result of a new scenario-related generation background, network limitations are likely to occur on the system. By creating a transmission reinforcement plan to alleviate these network issues, a conclusion can be made as to the economic impact of a future scenario to the electrical transmission network; thereby aiding the overall assessment of the scenario. However, by its nature the transmission planning problem is multi-objective with multiple economic conflicts. For a reinforcement designed for the main interconnected transmission system to gain economic approval from the network regulator, the reinforcement needs to alleviate annual network congestion such that the cost savings associated are greater than the capital expenditure and maintenance costs of the project. Further, this reinforcement will need to be established with minimal outages to existing network assets. This thesis proposes a flexible framework to evaluate the thermal and economic effect of applying a future energy scenario to the GB network. This is achieved through locating an optimal set of transmission reinforcement plans for the multi-criteria problem outlined above. The framework utilises a novel systematic algorithm to generate individual reinforcements and overall reinforcement plans for a large-scale multi-voltage network. The systematic algorithm can alter the associated reinforcements should they exacerbate thermal constraints. Specific reinforcements are therefore created for the scenario, and the framework can therefore be used to evaluate a wide range of future scenarios.;The framework is designed to cater for three variations in reinforcement characteristic; location, configuration (line upgrading, single-circuit and double-circuit addition) and thermal capacity. The new framework carries out a thorough exploration of each characteristic and uses a proven multi-objective meta-heuristic technique to perform the optimisation, which can handle complex multi-criteria problems such as transmission network planning effectively. The reinforcement plans generated are assessed against a stochastic, seasonal evaluation of annual network congestion, which reflects the uncertainty of annual generation output and the impact of planned network outages on annual system constraints. Although meta-heuristic techniques have been successfully applied to solve a variant of the multi-objective transmission planning problem proposed in this thesis, these approaches often simplified the reinforcement characteristics considered and the impact of these reinforcements on the objectives involved, and were often tested against small-scale simplified network backgrounds. From the frameworks output, a verdict on the economic impact of a future scenario to the electrical transmission network can be made which considers the different perspectives and complexities of the transmission planning problem. By comparing verdicts, a scenario can be located that is the best route forward, from the perspective of the electrical transmission network, to economically meet governmental emission targets. Hence the approach proposed can be used to improve current understanding on the economic impact of a wide range of penetrations in renewable and conventional generation to the network, to guide governmental energy policy and transmission network owner investment. Results from several scenario studies show that the framework is valuable for use in the evaluation of a UK energy scenario which envisions the continuation of a centralised power system.Due to increasing worldwide environmental concern, the United Kingdom (UK) government, under the Climate Change Act (2008), has set a target of at least an 80% reduction in the net UK carbon account, from baseline 1990 levels, by 2050. Recently there has been a rise in the number of low-carbon policy related studies, creating a growing number of national energy scenarios, some of which achieve the emission targets for 2050. A key aspect of evaluating the technical and economic impact of these energy scenarios is in assessing the associated effect on the electrical transmission network. As a result of a new scenario-related generation background, network limitations are likely to occur on the system. By creating a transmission reinforcement plan to alleviate these network issues, a conclusion can be made as to the economic impact of a future scenario to the electrical transmission network; thereby aiding the overall assessment of the scenario. However, by its nature the transmission planning problem is multi-objective with multiple economic conflicts. For a reinforcement designed for the main interconnected transmission system to gain economic approval from the network regulator, the reinforcement needs to alleviate annual network congestion such that the cost savings associated are greater than the capital expenditure and maintenance costs of the project. Further, this reinforcement will need to be established with minimal outages to existing network assets. This thesis proposes a flexible framework to evaluate the thermal and economic effect of applying a future energy scenario to the GB network. This is achieved through locating an optimal set of transmission reinforcement plans for the multi-criteria problem outlined above. The framework utilises a novel systematic algorithm to generate individual reinforcements and overall reinforcement plans for a large-scale multi-voltage network. The systematic algorithm can alter the associated reinforcements should they exacerbate thermal constraints. Specific reinforcements are therefore created for the scenario, and the framework can therefore be used to evaluate a wide range of future scenarios.;The framework is designed to cater for three variations in reinforcement characteristic; location, configuration (line upgrading, single-circuit and double-circuit addition) and thermal capacity. The new framework carries out a thorough exploration of each characteristic and uses a proven multi-objective meta-heuristic technique to perform the optimisation, which can handle complex multi-criteria problems such as transmission network planning effectively. The reinforcement plans generated are assessed against a stochastic, seasonal evaluation of annual network congestion, which reflects the uncertainty of annual generation output and the impact of planned network outages on annual system constraints. Although meta-heuristic techniques have been successfully applied to solve a variant of the multi-objective transmission planning problem proposed in this thesis, these approaches often simplified the reinforcement characteristics considered and the impact of these reinforcements on the objectives involved, and were often tested against small-scale simplified network backgrounds. From the frameworks output, a verdict on the economic impact of a future scenario to the electrical transmission network can be made which considers the different perspectives and complexities of the transmission planning problem. By comparing verdicts, a scenario can be located that is the best route forward, from the perspective of the electrical transmission network, to economically meet governmental emission targets. Hence the approach proposed can be used to improve current understanding on the economic impact of a wide range of penetrations in renewable and conventional generation to the network, to guide governmental energy policy and transmission network owner investment. Results from several scenario studies show that the framework is valuable for use in the evaluation of a UK energy scenario which envisions the continuation of a centralised power system
Concurrent delay analysis in public works construction disputes : a cross-jurisdictional study of Egypt, Scotland and England
Get PDFFor "Concurrent Delay" dispute in construction projects, within what is called the Malmaison approach, English court allow the contractor to gain time but no monetary compensation. Following the issue of the judgment of the City Inn case in 2007 in Scotland which departed from the English approach to the apportionment approach for the monetary consequences, an argument on "Concurrent Delay" in construction projects has started. Few writers have commented giving their opinion based on common law grounds. The question can be: should we have different remedies for the same situation in a cross jurisdiction industry like construction industry which has nearly the same characteristics anywhere. When we take the matter to a larger comparative study, the civilian law logic should be brought to the argument on how to deal with "Concurrent Delay". There is a notion of differentiation between private contracts and public contracts in most of the civil law countries. Egypt is a developed example of this. When we examine this notion of differentiation with the possible approaches of the "Concurrent Delay" we may add other philosophical and practical perspective to the matter of "Concurrent Delay".In view of that issue, the author identifies the notion of the differentiation between the private contracts and the public contracts within the context of public works construction disputes. The author also aims to explore the matter of concurrent delay from its two angles which are the legal perspective and the construction management perspective to identify the concurrent delay issue. The research aims to identify the related matters to the issue of concurrent delay and to test an appropriate regulatory framework for concurrent delay within the civilian law context and in common law context. The main findings of the research can be summarized that, within modern construction industry, a unified fair and reasonable advocated resolution or remedy can be developed to be applicable in different jurisdictions as long as the characteristics and the nature of the dispute are nearly the same. These findings will help to support the process of developing a theoretical regulatory framework that will be used as a guide to develop the way we theoretically and practically deal with concurrent delay dispute. One of the aims of this research is to develop the research area of construction law in Egypt.For "Concurrent Delay" dispute in construction projects, within what is called the Malmaison approach, English court allow the contractor to gain time but no monetary compensation. Following the issue of the judgment of the City Inn case in 2007 in Scotland which departed from the English approach to the apportionment approach for the monetary consequences, an argument on "Concurrent Delay" in construction projects has started. Few writers have commented giving their opinion based on common law grounds. The question can be: should we have different remedies for the same situation in a cross jurisdiction industry like construction industry which has nearly the same characteristics anywhere. When we take the matter to a larger comparative study, the civilian law logic should be brought to the argument on how to deal with "Concurrent Delay". There is a notion of differentiation between private contracts and public contracts in most of the civil law countries. Egypt is a developed example of this. When we examine this notion of differentiation with the possible approaches of the "Concurrent Delay" we may add other philosophical and practical perspective to the matter of "Concurrent Delay".In view of that issue, the author identifies the notion of the differentiation between the private contracts and the public contracts within the context of public works construction disputes. The author also aims to explore the matter of concurrent delay from its two angles which are the legal perspective and the construction management perspective to identify the concurrent delay issue. The research aims to identify the related matters to the issue of concurrent delay and to test an appropriate regulatory framework for concurrent delay within the civilian law context and in common law context. The main findings of the research can be summarized that, within modern construction industry, a unified fair and reasonable advocated resolution or remedy can be developed to be applicable in different jurisdictions as long as the characteristics and the nature of the dispute are nearly the same. These findings will help to support the process of developing a theoretical regulatory framework that will be used as a guide to develop the way we theoretically and practically deal with concurrent delay dispute. One of the aims of this research is to develop the research area of construction law in Egypt
A study of the metabolism and metabolomics of polyphenols using isolated rat hepatocytes and liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry
Get PDFDietary phenolic compounds have been proposed to have significant benefits for health through their anti-oxidant properties. Their metabolism has been well studied; however, it would be advantageous to have knowledge of the metabolites which can be formed from these compounds in order to monitor their presence in physiological fluids such as plasma and urine. Isolated rat hepatocytes contain a full range of enzymes for carrying out phase I, phase II and phase III metabolism of xenobiotics. In this work, isolated rat hepatocytes were used to transform the phenyl propionates ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid and the flavonoids quercetin and hesperidin. The products formed by enzymatic transformation were characterised by liquid chromatography in combination with high resolution mass spectrometry. This was followed by extraction of the data with Sieve software and identification of the metabolites based on their elemental composition. MS2 and MS3 experiments were used to further characterise the metabolites. The phenyl propanoid compounds were mainly sulfated but other transformations such as glucuronidation and glycine conjugation occurred. In addition, the two phenyl propanoid compounds also formed conjugates with glutathione which added across the double bond in the side chain. Quercetin underwent both metabolism and complex degradation in the hepatocyte incubation medium leading to a very complex mixture of metabolites from the intact drug and its chemical degradants. Hesperidin, in contrast to quercetin, underwent a rather simple metabolism being mainly converted to its sulfate. In addition, hydrophilic interaction chromatography in combination with high resolution mass spectrometry was used to study the effects of the phenolic compounds on the hepatocyte metabolome. Quercetin had a strong effect on the metabolome as it depleted the co-factors required for sulfation and glucuronidation. It also had a strong anti-oxidant effect and it appeared to reduce autophagy by the hepatocytes. In conclusion the most interesting compound in the set of compounds studied is quercetin which presents scope for further study.Dietary phenolic compounds have been proposed to have significant benefits for health through their anti-oxidant properties. Their metabolism has been well studied; however, it would be advantageous to have knowledge of the metabolites which can be formed from these compounds in order to monitor their presence in physiological fluids such as plasma and urine. Isolated rat hepatocytes contain a full range of enzymes for carrying out phase I, phase II and phase III metabolism of xenobiotics. In this work, isolated rat hepatocytes were used to transform the phenyl propionates ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid and the flavonoids quercetin and hesperidin. The products formed by enzymatic transformation were characterised by liquid chromatography in combination with high resolution mass spectrometry. This was followed by extraction of the data with Sieve software and identification of the metabolites based on their elemental composition. MS2 and MS3 experiments were used to further characterise the metabolites. The phenyl propanoid compounds were mainly sulfated but other transformations such as glucuronidation and glycine conjugation occurred. In addition, the two phenyl propanoid compounds also formed conjugates with glutathione which added across the double bond in the side chain. Quercetin underwent both metabolism and complex degradation in the hepatocyte incubation medium leading to a very complex mixture of metabolites from the intact drug and its chemical degradants. Hesperidin, in contrast to quercetin, underwent a rather simple metabolism being mainly converted to its sulfate. In addition, hydrophilic interaction chromatography in combination with high resolution mass spectrometry was used to study the effects of the phenolic compounds on the hepatocyte metabolome. Quercetin had a strong effect on the metabolome as it depleted the co-factors required for sulfation and glucuronidation. It also had a strong anti-oxidant effect and it appeared to reduce autophagy by the hepatocytes. In conclusion the most interesting compound in the set of compounds studied is quercetin which presents scope for further study
Heavy metal inducible antimicrobial activity of streptomyces spp. isolated from the Leadhills and Wanlockhead lead mines in Scotland, Uk
Get PDFThere is a real and urgent need for new antimicrobial compounds to combat the rise of multidrug resistant infections. Whole genome sequencing and genome mining have revealed that Streptomyces spp. possess a range of biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites, however many of them are silent and cryptic under conventional laboratory conditions. It has also been shown that triggering the expression of these cryptic gene clusters in Streptomyces might yield novel antibiotics. Here, we isolated over 100 Streptomyces strains from sediments contaminated with heavy metals from a former industrial site in Scotland, United Kingdom. These strains were assayed for heavy metal dependent antimicrobial activity. We have used a combination of genomics, bioinformatics and transcriptomics to investigate these novel strains, providing a phylogenetic context and molecular evidence towards the discovery of the gene clusters responsible for antibiotic biosynthesis.Our findings highlight the potential of using heavy metals for activation of silent biosynthetic metabolite gene clusters in Streptomyces isolated from extreme environments for natural product discovery. These findings are supported by the fact that these compounds are produced only in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of heavy metals but not in the absence of metal induction. Whole genome sequencing has enabled us to investigate the taxonomy and biosynthetic capacity of the strains whilst transcriptomic analysis and bioinformatics tools are allowing us to investigate the changes in the transcript levels of these genes that occur under metal-inducing conditions.There is a real and urgent need for new antimicrobial compounds to combat the rise of multidrug resistant infections. Whole genome sequencing and genome mining have revealed that Streptomyces spp. possess a range of biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites, however many of them are silent and cryptic under conventional laboratory conditions. It has also been shown that triggering the expression of these cryptic gene clusters in Streptomyces might yield novel antibiotics. Here, we isolated over 100 Streptomyces strains from sediments contaminated with heavy metals from a former industrial site in Scotland, United Kingdom. These strains were assayed for heavy metal dependent antimicrobial activity. We have used a combination of genomics, bioinformatics and transcriptomics to investigate these novel strains, providing a phylogenetic context and molecular evidence towards the discovery of the gene clusters responsible for antibiotic biosynthesis.Our findings highlight the potential of using heavy metals for activation of silent biosynthetic metabolite gene clusters in Streptomyces isolated from extreme environments for natural product discovery. These findings are supported by the fact that these compounds are produced only in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of heavy metals but not in the absence of metal induction. Whole genome sequencing has enabled us to investigate the taxonomy and biosynthetic capacity of the strains whilst transcriptomic analysis and bioinformatics tools are allowing us to investigate the changes in the transcript levels of these genes that occur under metal-inducing conditions
Convex hulls of planar random walks
Get PDFFor the perimeter length Ln and the area An of the convex hull of the first n steps of a planar random walk, this thesis study n -> ∞ mean and variance asymptotics and establish distributional limits. The results apply to random walks both with drift (the mean of random walk increments) and with no drift under mild moments assumptions on the increments. Assuming increments of the random walk have finite second moment and non-zero mean, Snyder and Steele showed that n−1Ln converges almost surely to a deterministic limit, and proved an upper bound on the variance Var[Ln] = O(n). We show that n−1Var[Ln] converges and give a simple expression for the limit,which is non-zero for walks outside a certain degenerate class. This answers a question of Snyder and Steele. Furthermore, we prove a central limit theorem for Ln in the non-degenerate case. Then we focus on the perimeter length with no drift and area with both drift and zero-drift cases. These results complement and contrast with previous work and establish non-Gaussian distributional limits. We deduce these results from weak convergence statements for the convex hulls of random walks to scaling limits defined in terms of convex hulls of certain Brownian motions. We give bounds that confirm that the limiting variances in our results are non-zero.For the perimeter length Ln and the area An of the convex hull of the first n steps of a planar random walk, this thesis study n -> ∞ mean and variance asymptotics and establish distributional limits. The results apply to random walks both with drift (the mean of random walk increments) and with no drift under mild moments assumptions on the increments. Assuming increments of the random walk have finite second moment and non-zero mean, Snyder and Steele showed that n−1Ln converges almost surely to a deterministic limit, and proved an upper bound on the variance Var[Ln] = O(n). We show that n−1Var[Ln] converges and give a simple expression for the limit,which is non-zero for walks outside a certain degenerate class. This answers a question of Snyder and Steele. Furthermore, we prove a central limit theorem for Ln in the non-degenerate case. Then we focus on the perimeter length with no drift and area with both drift and zero-drift cases. These results complement and contrast with previous work and establish non-Gaussian distributional limits. We deduce these results from weak convergence statements for the convex hulls of random walks to scaling limits defined in terms of convex hulls of certain Brownian motions. We give bounds that confirm that the limiting variances in our results are non-zero
A study of the mechanism of hydrophilic interaction chromatography and its application in the analysis of medical drugs and metabolites
Get PDFHydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) has been the subject of a few excellent reviews in recent years and most focused on different factors which impact on the separation of compounds in HILIC mode including column temperature, mobile phase composition, pH, buffer type and concentration. However, there have not been as many studies focusing on the retention mechanism and selectivity in hydrophilic chromatography. In the light of recent development in HILIC stationary phases and their applications, the need to understand the mechanisms that govern the separation in HILIC, which is not purely due to partitioning, and the contribution of stationary surface became a subject of study. This thesis explored the possible mechanisms which might be involved in HILIC chromatography by comparing the retention of test probes on bare silica gel and on a type-C silica hydride phase. In addition, a comprehensive retention and selectivity study of some commercially available hydride-based stationary phases was carried out in the analysis of hydrophobic acids and bases in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). The applications of HILIC technique were also addressed in the analysis of plasma and urinary metabolites, impurity profiling and in the separation of 'Legal high' regioisomers. An interest in the HILIC retention mechanism was mainly inspired by the need to understand how to develop the optimal HILIC conditions and the selection of a stationary phase. The retention of a series of positively charged probes on silica gel column was concluded that for this class of compounds both ion-exchange and hydrophilic partitioning were involved in retention. Ion exchange interactions were minimised by increase the ionic strength of the modifier in the mobile phase. The strength of the overall HILIC mechanism was increased with silica gel surface area. The unique properties of silica-hydride phases also assessed and are still not explained in terms of how the retention mechanism of this type of stationary phase is different from the other separation materials used in chromatography. The study confirmed the usefulness of HILIC in many analytical aspects. However, the mixed-interaction mechanisms which operate on different stationary phases for different compounds are still far from understood and more investigation is required.Hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) has been the subject of a few excellent reviews in recent years and most focused on different factors which impact on the separation of compounds in HILIC mode including column temperature, mobile phase composition, pH, buffer type and concentration. However, there have not been as many studies focusing on the retention mechanism and selectivity in hydrophilic chromatography. In the light of recent development in HILIC stationary phases and their applications, the need to understand the mechanisms that govern the separation in HILIC, which is not purely due to partitioning, and the contribution of stationary surface became a subject of study. This thesis explored the possible mechanisms which might be involved in HILIC chromatography by comparing the retention of test probes on bare silica gel and on a type-C silica hydride phase. In addition, a comprehensive retention and selectivity study of some commercially available hydride-based stationary phases was carried out in the analysis of hydrophobic acids and bases in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). The applications of HILIC technique were also addressed in the analysis of plasma and urinary metabolites, impurity profiling and in the separation of 'Legal high' regioisomers. An interest in the HILIC retention mechanism was mainly inspired by the need to understand how to develop the optimal HILIC conditions and the selection of a stationary phase. The retention of a series of positively charged probes on silica gel column was concluded that for this class of compounds both ion-exchange and hydrophilic partitioning were involved in retention. Ion exchange interactions were minimised by increase the ionic strength of the modifier in the mobile phase. The strength of the overall HILIC mechanism was increased with silica gel surface area. The unique properties of silica-hydride phases also assessed and are still not explained in terms of how the retention mechanism of this type of stationary phase is different from the other separation materials used in chromatography. The study confirmed the usefulness of HILIC in many analytical aspects. However, the mixed-interaction mechanisms which operate on different stationary phases for different compounds are still far from understood and more investigation is required
Dynamics of trust in the employment relationship
Get PDFTrust is a topic that has long been of interest to organisational scholars. Over the past two decades, numerous studies have scrutinized the antecedents, processes, and outcomes of trust within organisations (i.e. intra-organisational trust) sharpening our understanding of its complexity and describing all the benefits that trust can confer. However, most intra-organisational trust researchers have arguably developed an over-optimistic vision on the possibilities of building trust relationships. This seems in fact to clash with the outcomes of recent surveys and employee engagement measures, which have recorded a significant trust deficit with levels of trust at historic low within Western organisations. Within the literature, such declining levels of trust are often considered as the consequence of deficits in people management skills and practices, while failing to acknowledge the existence of wider structural issues within the employment relationship. This thesis argues that, in order to better understand the current declining levels of trust, trust researchers need to take a sociological and critical turn and move beyond the micro-foundations and the psychological reductionism characterizing most of the intra-organisational trust literature. It proposes a multi-level study, which captures the essence of how micro- and macro-levels forces simultaneously influence the development of trust at both the interpersonal and the organisational level. To bridge the micro-macro gap, specific attention has been given to the role of the Human Resource function, which sits at the heart of the employment relationship. The findings demonstrate that the development of intra-organizational trust is influenced by the specificities of the job role, by interpersonal dynamics, as well as by numerous other organizational factors. They also reveal a fractured and dysfunctional situation for Human Resource professionals. Paradoxically, despite being normatively committed to trust-building models of employment relations, HR staff are instead largely not trusted as they find themselves squeezed between their conflicting roles of 'strategic partner' and 'employee champion'. The thesis provides new evidence to the recent crisis of trust faced by the Human Resource profession, as well as it demonstrates that trust is inherently context-dependent and that trust relationships are inevitably embedded in the structural context of the employment relationship.Trust is a topic that has long been of interest to organisational scholars. Over the past two decades, numerous studies have scrutinized the antecedents, processes, and outcomes of trust within organisations (i.e. intra-organisational trust) sharpening our understanding of its complexity and describing all the benefits that trust can confer. However, most intra-organisational trust researchers have arguably developed an over-optimistic vision on the possibilities of building trust relationships. This seems in fact to clash with the outcomes of recent surveys and employee engagement measures, which have recorded a significant trust deficit with levels of trust at historic low within Western organisations. Within the literature, such declining levels of trust are often considered as the consequence of deficits in people management skills and practices, while failing to acknowledge the existence of wider structural issues within the employment relationship. This thesis argues that, in order to better understand the current declining levels of trust, trust researchers need to take a sociological and critical turn and move beyond the micro-foundations and the psychological reductionism characterizing most of the intra-organisational trust literature. It proposes a multi-level study, which captures the essence of how micro- and macro-levels forces simultaneously influence the development of trust at both the interpersonal and the organisational level. To bridge the micro-macro gap, specific attention has been given to the role of the Human Resource function, which sits at the heart of the employment relationship. The findings demonstrate that the development of intra-organizational trust is influenced by the specificities of the job role, by interpersonal dynamics, as well as by numerous other organizational factors. They also reveal a fractured and dysfunctional situation for Human Resource professionals. Paradoxically, despite being normatively committed to trust-building models of employment relations, HR staff are instead largely not trusted as they find themselves squeezed between their conflicting roles of 'strategic partner' and 'employee champion'. The thesis provides new evidence to the recent crisis of trust faced by the Human Resource profession, as well as it demonstrates that trust is inherently context-dependent and that trust relationships are inevitably embedded in the structural context of the employment relationship
Two Rough Riders, Buffalo Bill and Theodore Roosevelt's enigmatic relationship
Get PDFNo hardbound version of thesis has been received.This dissertation examines the social, political, and cultural connections between Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt and William F. "Buffalo Bill Cody." Due to their advocacy of American Exceptionalism through the frontier process, the complexities of both men are covered with a veneer of myths and legends, leading many to believe both men were personal friends and political allies. As an actor, Buffalo Bill appealed to America's middle and working classes, conveying a strong message of American exceptionalism through his dramatic recreations in Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Yet despite their shared advocacy for the American western experience, there is little documentary evidence to demonstrate the two men were close friends and divided by their class and regional differences. While both men agreed on the political issues of conservation and military intervention in overseas conflicts, they often disagreed on a professional level. Both men found fault with one another over their differing methodologies used to accomplish their similar goals. Buffalo Bill clearly sought financial gain through political support of Roosevelt, practicing the methods reflective of machine politics. Roosevelt, prone to use Buffalo Bill's support publicly to promote his administration's policies, advocated a more professional, bureaucratic approach that defined the emerging Progressive Era. Although the strife between Roosevelt and Buffalo Bill was evident in their professional correspondence and government records, the two men realized their public personas complimented one another, and neither spoke ill of the other publicly. Through this detailed investigation of their personal, professional, and public relationship, a more nuanced view of both men emerges. Comparing their complex views of race, land-use, masculinity, and militarism at the turn of the century - all of which was often overshadowed by the popularity of the frontier myth generated by Roosevelt and Buffalo Bill - offering an intriguing view of global influences of the American West.This dissertation examines the social, political, and cultural connections between Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt and William F. "Buffalo Bill Cody." Due to their advocacy of American Exceptionalism through the frontier process, the complexities of both men are covered with a veneer of myths and legends, leading many to believe both men were personal friends and political allies. As an actor, Buffalo Bill appealed to America's middle and working classes, conveying a strong message of American exceptionalism through his dramatic recreations in Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Yet despite their shared advocacy for the American western experience, there is little documentary evidence to demonstrate the two men were close friends and divided by their class and regional differences. While both men agreed on the political issues of conservation and military intervention in overseas conflicts, they often disagreed on a professional level. Both men found fault with one another over their differing methodologies used to accomplish their similar goals. Buffalo Bill clearly sought financial gain through political support of Roosevelt, practicing the methods reflective of machine politics. Roosevelt, prone to use Buffalo Bill's support publicly to promote his administration's policies, advocated a more professional, bureaucratic approach that defined the emerging Progressive Era. Although the strife between Roosevelt and Buffalo Bill was evident in their professional correspondence and government records, the two men realized their public personas complimented one another, and neither spoke ill of the other publicly. Through this detailed investigation of their personal, professional, and public relationship, a more nuanced view of both men emerges. Comparing their complex views of race, land-use, masculinity, and militarism at the turn of the century - all of which was often overshadowed by the popularity of the frontier myth generated by Roosevelt and Buffalo Bill - offering an intriguing view of global influences of the American West
Clinical reasoning for manual handling risk assessments in community settings : moving from rule based to intuitive reasoning
Get PDFStrathclyde theses - ask staff. Thesis no. : T14598Background: There has been a shift in recent years to caring for patients with complex needs in their homes. In order to provide this care safely, tasks involving moving and handling need to be risk assessed. Little is known about how healthcare professionals conduct manual handling risk assessments (MHRAs) in community settings. Research Questions and Objective: There are three research questions used to investigate this thesis. To inform the research, "How is safety and risk management legislation (MHOR, MHRA) used by professionals in the identification of hazards and in the risk evaluation of these hazards relating to a manual handling task?". Secondly using these hazards and the risks associated with them the research has considered and has posed the following question, 'in the community setting in what context can hazard identification and risk evaluation data be used and applied by HCPs when dealing with complex cases?'. Thirdly, there is the question, 'to what extent and in what ways is clinical reasoning relevant when undertaking MHRA in the community settings.' Methods: A qualitative design with thematic analysis was used to investigate the research questions. Training Workshops, based on two clinical cases, were conducted with healthcare professionals to determine the hazards they perceived in those cases, how they made risk decisions, and the way in which they communicated their risk information and findings. Semi-Structured Interviews were then used to investigate the effect of experience on the development of clinical reasoning in manual handling risk assessments. Participant Validation Interviews were then conducted on the resultant model and level descriptors. Main Findings: The findings from the workshops suggest that healthcare professionals should consider Medical Condition, Equipment, Home Environment, Complexity and Community Care when conducting MHRA in community settings. The findings from the interviews suggest three stages (Novice, Competent, and Expert) in the development of clinical reasoning in manual handling risk assessments in community settings. The resultant model and level descriptors were validated through participant validation interviews. Unique Contribution: This thesis develops a model about how healthcare professionals use clinical reasoning when conducting manual handling risk assessments in community settings. This model is presented as an (sic) unique theoretical contribution to knowledge and is based on the HSEs 'Five Steps to Risk Assessment', highlighting the processes of risk perception, risk decision making, and risk communication. The model integrates these processes with cyclical models of clinical reasoning and stages of development in clinical reasoning, yielding level-descriptors. Two methodological contributions to knowledge were made by firstly developing clinical case studies (Personas) that can be used to study MHRAs in community settings, and secondly a specific programme using MHRA training workshops that incorporate the 'Think Aloud' procedure. Implications: The theoretical implications of the model have to do with how HCPs' clinical reasoning in conducting MHRAs develops with experience from rule-based to more holistic, intuitive-based reasoning. The model also points to a role for Non-Analytical Reasoning by experts, and the development of a safety culture in community care organisations. Practical implications of the model have to do with training, and the integration of health and social care in the community.Background: There has been a shift in recent years to caring for patients with complex needs in their homes. In order to provide this care safely, tasks involving moving and handling need to be risk assessed. Little is known about how healthcare professionals conduct manual handling risk assessments (MHRAs) in community settings. Research Questions and Objective: There are three research questions used to investigate this thesis. To inform the research, "How is safety and risk management legislation (MHOR, MHRA) used by professionals in the identification of hazards and in the risk evaluation of these hazards relating to a manual handling task?". Secondly using these hazards and the risks associated with them the research has considered and has posed the following question, 'in the community setting in what context can hazard identification and risk evaluation data be used and applied by HCPs when dealing with complex cases?'. Thirdly, there is the question, 'to what extent and in what ways is clinical reasoning relevant when undertaking MHRA in the community settings.' Methods: A qualitative design with thematic analysis was used to investigate the research questions. Training Workshops, based on two clinical cases, were conducted with healthcare professionals to determine the hazards they perceived in those cases, how they made risk decisions, and the way in which they communicated their risk information and findings. Semi-Structured Interviews were then used to investigate the effect of experience on the development of clinical reasoning in manual handling risk assessments. Participant Validation Interviews were then conducted on the resultant model and level descriptors. Main Findings: The findings from the workshops suggest that healthcare professionals should consider Medical Condition, Equipment, Home Environment, Complexity and Community Care when conducting MHRA in community settings. The findings from the interviews suggest three stages (Novice, Competent, and Expert) in the development of clinical reasoning in manual handling risk assessments in community settings. The resultant model and level descriptors were validated through participant validation interviews. Unique Contribution: This thesis develops a model about how healthcare professionals use clinical reasoning when conducting manual handling risk assessments in community settings. This model is presented as an (sic) unique theoretical contribution to knowledge and is based on the HSEs 'Five Steps to Risk Assessment', highlighting the processes of risk perception, risk decision making, and risk communication. The model integrates these processes with cyclical models of clinical reasoning and stages of development in clinical reasoning, yielding level-descriptors. Two methodological contributions to knowledge were made by firstly developing clinical case studies (Personas) that can be used to study MHRAs in community settings, and secondly a specific programme using MHRA training workshops that incorporate the 'Think Aloud' procedure. Implications: The theoretical implications of the model have to do with how HCPs' clinical reasoning in conducting MHRAs develops with experience from rule-based to more holistic, intuitive-based reasoning. The model also points to a role for Non-Analytical Reasoning by experts, and the development of a safety culture in community care organisations. Practical implications of the model have to do with training, and the integration of health and social care in the community
Micro-fabricated diffractive optics for quantum sensors and atomic clocks
No full textThis thesis describes the design, construction and experimental realisationof a cold-atom, atomic clock. Diffractive optics are used to address the size constraints of the typical laser cooling apparatus to facilitate a portable device. The design and measurement of a wide range of grating parameters, including period, duty cycle, etch depth, and coating are characterised for optimum performance in a cold-atom system. The grating magneto-optical trap (GMOT) demonstrates an atom number and temperature competitive with state-of-the-art experiments, while greatly simplifying the optical footprint. The compact nature of the GMOT facilitates proof-of-principle quantum sensing for future miniaturised atomic devices and instruments. These initial measurements include in situ magnetometry from compensating effects of homogeneous and inhomogeneous magnetic fields. Coherent population trapping was studied on the D1 line of rubidium to realise a high contrast superposition state for clock measurements. These initial clock measurements lead to the development of a microwave regime atomic clock, based on a Raman-Ramsey interrogation of the clock states. The theory and construction of this clock are discussed, with an outlook to the development and demonstration of a second generation experiment.This thesis describes the design, construction and experimental realisationof a cold-atom, atomic clock. Diffractive optics are used to address the size constraints of the typical laser cooling apparatus to facilitate a portable device. The design and measurement of a wide range of grating parameters, including period, duty cycle, etch depth, and coating are characterised for optimum performance in a cold-atom system. The grating magneto-optical trap (GMOT) demonstrates an atom number and temperature competitive with state-of-the-art experiments, while greatly simplifying the optical footprint. The compact nature of the GMOT facilitates proof-of-principle quantum sensing for future miniaturised atomic devices and instruments. These initial measurements include in situ magnetometry from compensating effects of homogeneous and inhomogeneous magnetic fields. Coherent population trapping was studied on the D1 line of rubidium to realise a high contrast superposition state for clock measurements. These initial clock measurements lead to the development of a microwave regime atomic clock, based on a Raman-Ramsey interrogation of the clock states. The theory and construction of this clock are discussed, with an outlook to the development and demonstration of a second generation experiment
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