20505 research outputs found
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From source to tap: tracking of drinking water bacteria using flow cytometry
No full textJeffrey, Paul - Associate SupervisorUnderstanding how water microbial quality changes occur in distributed water is
crucial for ensuring water quality, safeguarding public health, optimizing
treatment processes, and predicting the impacts of environmental and
anthropogenic changes on microbial ecosystems. However, current monitoring
tools, such as heterotrophic plate count, have limitations due to their inability to
capture the full diversity of microbial communities, low sensitivity to non-
culturable microorganisms, and delayed results that hinder real-time decision-
making.
Flow Cytometry (FCM) has emerged as a promising alternative offering high-
throughput and real-time analysis of microbial cells. Through metrics such as
Total Cell Count (TCC), Intact Cell Count (ICC)High Nucleic Acids (HNA), Low
Nucleic Acids (LNA), and Bray and Curtis Dissimilarity Index (BCDI) resulting
from the CHIC analysis of cell’s fluorescence histogram, FCM provides valuable
insights into microbial abundance, viability, and metabolic activity. Despite its
potential, the application of these metrics lacks standardised guidance, with
metrics such as HNA and LNA not fully comprehended leading to risks of
incorrect application potentially resulting in misinterpretation of water quality data
and suboptimal treatment decisions. Therefore, there is a need for addressing
the research question of how to appropriately use these metrics to monitor water
microbial quality.
This EngD study aimed to address this gap by identifying the conditions under
which the FCM metrics are most valuable and evaluating their potential as early
warning indicators for unwanted water microbial quality. A mixed-methods
approach was employed, combining the monitoring of 35 Water Treatment Works
(WTW)s and 231 associated Service Reservoirs (SR) with in-depth interstage
monitoring of one individual WTW. The first case evaluated the relevance of the
metrics across different WTW designs, while the second focused on their
relevance at different treatment process stages within a single WTW.
The findings revealed that cell counts are most effective in high-cell
environments, BCDI is particularly useful in low-cell ones, and HNA/LNA metrics
are most relevant in treatment stages involving chemicals. These results highlight
the need for a standardised framework to guide FCM users in selecting and
interpreting metrics to prevent misinterpretations and support effective water
quality management.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)STREAM EngD Programm
'Like drinking water after being in the desert’: social-symbolic work of sustainable procurement professionals
No full textThis study examines how procurement professionals exercise agency in embedding sustainability within procurement processes, using a social-symbolic work lens. Drawing on 36 interviews and 15 observed meetings, it reveals that sustainable procurement is shaped through practice, legitimacy, and identity work. The findings highlight procurement professionals as change agents, driven by personal values, and challenge the view of procurement as purely operational. The study contributes a framework illustrating how these forms of work interact to drive systemic change, offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance for aligning sustainability with procurement practices and professional rolesInternational Purchasing & Supply Education & Research Association (IPSERA) 202
Enabling emergency response to arsenic contamination: simultaneous and rapid identification of arsenic speciation by a machine learning-driven fluorescent sensor array
No full textThe rapid identification of arsenic speciation is critical for assessing its toxicity and guiding emergency response during water contamination events, yet it remains a significant challenge for current analytical methods. Herein, a novel machine learning-driven fluorescent sensor array was designed for the differentiation of four arsenic species, including arsenite (AsIII), arsenate (AsV), monomethylarsonic acid (MMAV), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAV). Two Fe-based luminescent metal-organic frameworks (NH2-MIL-88(Fe) and OH-MIL-88(Fe)) were synthesized by functionalizing MIL-88 (Fe) with 2-amino-terephthalic acid and 2-hydroxy-terephthalic acid, respectively, both of which presented promising fluorescence behavior. Remarkably, varying arsenic species differentially regulated the fluorescence intensity of NH2-MIL-88(Fe) and OH-MIL-88(Fe), which was further analyzed by pattern recognition methods to develop a fluorescence sensor array for the rapid, simultaneous identification of four arsenic species and their mixtures. Furthermore, a machine learning algorithm was employed to integrate with the fluorescent sensor array to establish a stepwise prediction model to precisely identify and predict four arsenic species, which was successfully applied to actual water samples. Thus, our findings presented a robust, rapid, and intelligent platform for arsenic speciation, offering a powerful tool for water quality assessment and emergency response.Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province; BK20240884National Natural Science Foundation of China; 22176075National Natural Science Foundation of China; 22406068Environmental Science & Technolog
Advances in biosensor technology for illicit drug detection enable effective wastewater surveillance
No full textDrug abuse has been a global public health challenge, requiring robust and timely strategies for monitoring drug consumption at the community level. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) offers population-scale insights by analyzing drug biomarkers in sewage, yet conventional analytical methods can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Biosensor technology is rapidly emerging as a promising tool for detecting illicit drugs in complex wastewater matrices, offering significant advantages in speed, specificity, and cost-effectiveness over conventional analytical methods. This review explores the emerging role of biosensor technology in enhancing WBE for illicit drug detection. We first outline the principles of WBE and discuss conventional analytical techniques used in wastewater drug surveillance, noting their limitations in cost, throughput, and real-time applicability. Next, we examine key biosensor platforms encompassing electrochemical, optical, and other transducer-based designs and highlight their capacity to rapidly and selectively detect target drugs or metabolites in complex wastewater matrics. We then address the principal challenges of biosensor deployment in WBE, including sample matrix interference, sensor fouling, and the need for calibration and standardization. Finally, we identify critical research gaps, such as further miniaturization, multiplexed detection, and integration with Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics. By merging biosensor innovation with WBE, this multidisciplinary approach promises more efficient, adaptable, and community-focused solutions for tracking illicit drug trends and informing public health policy.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)This work is supported by the UK NERC Fellowship Grant (NE/R013349/2) and the Royal Academy of Engineering Frontier Follow-up Grant (FF\1920\1\36). Z.Y. and Y.G. thank The Leverhulme Trust Research Leaderships Awards (RL-2022-041).Chem & Bio Engineerin
Navigating talent scarcity: talent attraction and selection practices among domestic firms and multinational corporations in Saudi Arabia
Get PDFPurpose
The study aimed to identify factors affecting talent attraction and selection in Saudi Arabia’s private sector and to compare the practices of domestic firms (DFs) and multinational corporations (MNCs).
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and archival evidence from three DFs and 3 MNCs in Saudi Arabia. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis.
Findings
Integrating institutional logics and dynamic capabilities theory, this study develops a novel framework explaining how firms manage a talent-starved environment. Unlike traditional models that emphasize targeting “ready-to-go” talent, our findings reveal that firms increasingly seek individuals with potential, balancing institutional pressures and business needs. MNCs and DFs alike must exercise strategic dexterity – sensing environmental shifts, seizing emerging opportunities, and reconfiguring selection criteria – by either merging existing logics or adopting new ones.
Practical implications
Although MNCs have been practicing formalized talent attraction and selection for longer than DFs and have more sophisticated processes, both organizational types have scope for improving their practices in the context of institutional logics at play in Saudi Arabia.
Originality/value
This study advances the understanding of talent attraction and selection in the Middle East by empirically demonstrating how institutional logics shape human resource practices in Saudi Arabia. It also applies a dynamic capabilities perspective to explain differences between DFs and MNCs, highlighting how firms strategically adapt talent management practices to labor market constraints.International Journal of Manpowe
A review of the performance metrics and entrepreneurial practices of economics and business departments in UK universities: a ‘Gresham’s Law’ threat?
Get PDFEntrepreneurial approaches and privatisation practices have been widely embraced by academic and professional leadership teams in UK universities, arguably to ensure that the existing chasm between universities and society is bridged. Departments specialising in economics and business have transformed into mechanisms for disseminating knowledge reconfigured to meet the social and economic demands of the contemporary ‘entrepreneurial’ university. This article, through a comprehensive review of the extant literature, argues that the entrepreneurial practices and performance-driven metrics adopted by UK universities have largely suppressed academic pluralism, theoretical development and heterodox thinking. We are of the view that market practices, in conjunction with managerial-type approaches aimed at satisfying specific institutional and individual performance metrics, raise ethical concerns that undermine the established role of academia. The preservation of the university’s traditional role as an institution that promotes intellectual inquiry and pluralism, seeking factual and new knowledge by cultivating virtues and creativity, requires renunciation of the current model, which has transformed universities into ‘businesses’, and academics into ‘entrepreneurs’. Several alternative propositions are offered which, if considered, may help restore the sacrosanct role of the university as an institution of paideia.Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economie
Integrated modelling of the clogging processes of plastic grid permeable pavement
Get PDFBortone, Imma - Associate Supervisor
Grabowski, Robert C. - Associate SupervisorBecause of rapid urban expansion increasing the area of impervious land
surfaces and climate change, flood risks and extreme precipitation events are
projected to become severe challenges in the future. Sustainable Urban Drainage
Systems (SUDS) are designed to increase urban surface permeability and
reduce stormwater runoff. As a commonly used SUDS technique, plastic grid
permeable (PGP) pavement effectively reduces urban surface runoff. However,
clogging is a severe problem that reduces the operational performance and
lifespan of PGP. Further research is needed on the clogging process, but it is
challenging to conduct field experiments to predict permeable pavement's long-
term performance for engineers and researchers. This study aims to evaluate the
suspended particle clogging process and mechanisms of PGP using a modelling
approach. A 1-D model was developed with COMSOL Multiphysics to understand
the clogging process, based on the spatially and temporally mathematical
expression. The new integrated hydraulic and clogging model for the PGP system
consists of three parts: 1) Hydraulic model, 2) Rainfall-infiltration boundary (RIB)
condition and 3) Clogging model, which named as the PGP-HRC model.
The PGP-HRC model focuses on the interaction, feedbacks, and parameter
changes between the three parts. The hydraulic model and RIB provide water
flow driven force for the clogging model. Over time, clogging reduces the media
porosity and further changes the soil properties, affecting the hydraulic model and
RIB. By testing the model input parameters with different rainfall intensity, initial
soil water content, suspended particle concentration, particle size and duration,
the clogging time, depth and mechanisms of the PGP system can be understood.
PGP-HRC model enables detailed study of hydraulic and clogging processes
within porous media, and can be adapted for a range of applications. For the
mitigation of surface water flooding, it provides a platform to test the design and
maintenance of PGP, which will help for climate adaptation strategy and extreme
precipitation in the urban area.PhD in Water, including Desig
Hydrodynamic modeling of unstretched length variations in nonlinear catenary mooring systems for floating PV installations in small Indonesian Islands
Get PDFFloating photovoltaic (FPV) systems offer a promising renewable energy solution, particularly for coastal waters. This preliminary numerical study proposes a single-array pentamaran configuration designed to maximize panel installation and enhance stability by reducing rolling motion. The study investigates the effect of mooring length on the motion behavior of FPV systems and actual line tension using the Boundary Element Method (BEM) in both frequency and time domains under irregular wave conditions. The results demonstrate that the mooring system significantly reduces all horizontal motion displacements, with reductions exceeding 90%. Even with a reduction of up to 51% in the unstretched mooring length, from the original design (304.53 m) to the shortest alternative (154.53 m), the motion response shows minimal change. This is supported by RMSE values of only 0.01 m/m for surge, 0.02 m/m for sway, and 0.09 deg/m for yaw. In the time-domain response, the shortened mooring line demonstrates improved motion performance. This improvement comes with the consequence of stronger nonlinearity in restoring forces and stiffness, resulting in higher peak tensions of up to 15.79 kN. Despite this increase, all configurations remain within the allowable tension limit of 30.69 kN, indicating that the FPV’s system satisfies safety criteria.This research was funded by Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) for providing financial support for the study project through the “ITS Center Collaboration Research Scheme” with grant number 1322/PKS/ITS/2024.Modellin
Comparative profiling of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of extracts from selected medicinal plants: implications for mitigating obesity-related inflammation
Get PDFObesity is a metabolic disorder, contributing to various health complications, including diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular dysfunction. Increased use of plant extracts to reduce obesity risk reflects consumer preference for natural remedies and scientific validation for their safety and efficacy. This study profiled bioactive compounds in methanolic extracts from the leaves and roots of Merwilla plumbea (Lindl.) Speta, Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch, Eucomis autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt, and Pentanisia prunelloides (Klotzsch) Walp. The objective was to explore and compare the medicinal properties of distinct plant parts for their potential to mitigate obesity-induced inflammation. P. prunelloides leaves and roots had higher concentrations of phenolics (123.92 mg/mL and 110.01 mg/mL) and flavonoids (44.4 mg/mL and 55.05 mg/mL), respectively. Gallotannins were significantly higher in H. hemerocallidea roots (5.19 mg/mL) while proanthocyanidins were predominantly found in P. prunelloides roots (35.77 mg/mL). The antioxidant activity was assessed by ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA) assays. P. prunelloides roots had higher FRAP (2.97 mg/mL) and moderate DPPH (RSA) (52.89 %) while M. plumbea roots had the highest DPPH RSA (80.86 %) and lower FRAP (2.25 mg/mL). E. autumnalis roots and leaves showed FRAP values of 2.78 and 2.13 mg/mL, and DPPH RSA of 80.72 and 74.54 %, respectively. The results revealed that all plants investigated had considerable amounts of bioactive compounds with P. prunelloides showing the highest concentration, highlighting its potential for further pharmaceutical and nutraceutical exploration. Further research validating the bioactivity of key compounds in vivo, exploring seasonal variations, and assessing optimal harvesting practices is paramount for the sustainable utilization of these medicinal plants.South African Journal of Botan
Integrating corporate identity, social responsibility, and reputation: a triadic framework for sustainable branding in hospitality & tourism
Get PDFPrevious studies have explored the impact of corporate identity (CI), corporate social responsibility (CSR), and corporate reputation (CR), but they have largely overlooked the effects of inconsistent CSR strategies on unexpected outcomes among hospitality employees. To address this gap, this study examines the interplay among CI, CSR, and CR within the hospitality industry. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, the research reviews the literature from marketing, design, organizational studies, and management. It then employs qualitative methods, including interviews with managers and focus groups with employees, supplemented by a survey conducted among hospitality and tourism employees in the UK, Malaysia, and Iran. The findings reveal 20 critical CI factors across corporate communication, visual identity, and management behavior, demonstrating that CI influences CSR and CR. This study introduces a triadic framework that integrates CI, CSR, and CR, offering a holistic perspective essential for sustainable branding in hospitality.International Journal of Hospitality Managemen