Thesis and Research Data Repository Leeds Beckett University
Not a member yet
631 research outputs found
Sort by
All the Bright Places – the Reality of Male Teenage Suicide Ideation Brought to Life
No full textSuicide is the second leading cause of death in young men globally and since the first leading cause is accidental death, a grey area of statistics, a proportion of this can be claimed to be suicide-related as well (Pitman et al., 2012). In addition to this, the general population of young men have a suicide rate of 15.3 per 100,000 (ONS, 2020). Émile Durkheim’s theory of suicide states that suicide is the result of societal actions that cannot be solved or modified on an individual level.</p
Influencing factors assessment and spatial design strategies for the sustainable development of rural heritage communities
No full textThe rapid urbanisation and regional homogenisation of rural heritage communities is increasingly a challenge in rural heritage communities. On the one hand, rural heritage communities need to grow to be viable; on the other hand, indiscriminate growth could negatively affect heritage, cultural and architectural identity. Precedent research in this area is limited, lacking residents’ perspectives and focusing on either assessing heritage status or applying existing strategies. Therefore, this study aims to synthesise the cultural ecology and anthropological approaches to investigate the factors affecting the sustainable development of rural heritage communities. The findings will propose a rational and sustainable spatial development strategy. This paper presents the first step of the research; a systematic literature review. The research resulted in a conceptual framework evaluated through a case study focused on the Chinese village of Baojing. The results show that the factors influencing the spatial development of rural heritage communities include the natural, social and economic environment, spatial evolution, public participation, and cultural driving. Therefore, the sustainable development of rural heritage communities can be enhanced by combining local conditions and improving these six factors in an integrated manner. However, further research is needed to determine the relevance of each influencing factor as a precursor to proposing a comprehensive assessment system for rural heritage communities.</p
Talking clients into sustainability
No full textThe need for sustainable practices has gained an unprecedented momentum in the construction sector in the past couple of decades. Understandably, sustainable practices can only be successful when key stakeholders (e.g., client, designer, main contractor, subcontractors, etc) are in support of achieving them as common goals and/or shared values. Construction projects are typically known for their complexity, and this makes collaboration and consent challenging. A common goal of improving sustainable practices can be embedded in all aspects of projects ranging from conception to completion and in operation phase through to refurbishment and deconstruction or re/upcycling. Clients often have limited knowledge of sustainability especially when it comes to construction processes. It is common practice for clients to employ consultants to guide them through the various phases of projects. This paper explores the various approaches that consultants adopt when ‘encouraging’ clients to buy into sustainable designs for large projects. The research examines the practices of construction projects teams and consultants as they work closely with clients to successfully implement sustainable options. Semi-structured interviews were collected from six (6) industry professionals ranging from Project Managers to Quantity Surveyors. All participants played roles with clients and contractors thereby giving the study a broad scope of data source. Themes being explored within the data included cost vs ‘environmentally-conscientious’ options, fundamental decisions for moving towards sustainable principles, and knowledge of long-term benefits of such choices. Furthermore, the study investigates the techniques that consultants and project teams adopt when clients are directly or indirectly against the concept of implementing such practices particularly when they believe them to be non-beneficial due to financial implications. The study sheds much-needed light on best practice methods adopted by firms operating in financially difficult environments, working to ensure green approaches are implemented in the construction sector. It is evident from this research that everyday subcontractors need further assistance through additional measures (e.g., training focusing on sustainability) if a holistic approach to achieving higher standards</p
Children’s Perception of Space: The influence of Architecture in the Development of Creativity. Primary School
No full textArchitecture is a way of seeing and understanding space by children and adults. Exploring with architecture from an early age help us act on transforming the environment in a sustainable way. Children’s perception and creativity is a broad area to study, a trans-disciplinary one, as it includes pedagogical, psychological, medical, technical, ecological and many other fields. children 6-10 years old are deprived of an environment in which to develop their creativity and, at this age, they do not need just a table and a pen, they need to explore through all their senses with diverse materials and shapes. A phenomenological approach is reached by understanding from authors like Bachelard and Pallasma that the perception and memory of a place are created by a unique landscape. From storytellers, from macro to meso and, last but not least, micro, from the territory, to the urban fabrics and to the intimacy of a home, our memories are created in our childhood by using our senses in these landscapes. An empirical view may layout the experience of children with space according to their inherited perceptive nature. This are well presented through a series of case studies. Today's architecture cannot be separated, especially when it comes to vulnerable people, from several other subjects</p
BIM’s Contribution on HSE Improvement of the Construction Industry
No full textAs is generally known, construction industry has one of the highest rates of occupational accidents of any economic sector. Construction remains one of the greatest industry sectors, even in times of economic downturn (Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 2018; The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOS), 2018). It is also one of the most hazardous and dangerous sectors, and despite considerable reductions in injury rates over the previous 20 years, construction remains a high-risk industry to work in (OSHA, 2018). Building information modelling (BIM) is now seen as a way to address workplace safety problems all across the entire life cycle, reducing risks and hazards and, as a result, increasing safety. Despite the fact that building information modelling is not a new concept, it has seen a boom in popularity in recent years. This is due in part to government mandates, but mostly to considerable technological developments. BIM may assist produce safer assets, even though the focus is on getting the most value for money and enhancing efficiency. Nevertheless, instead of getting mired in a technical dispute, we should keep in mind that BIM is really a behavioural change initiative. BIM allows for the effective integration of safety measures from the design stage through the construction phase and operation phase, as well as integrated safety planning within construction planning, resulting in continuous safety management across the construction process. This study investigates the construction industry's implementation of BIM methodology and related technologies for building safety planning, and it demonstrates how this technology can be utilised to integrate safety measures into the design phase and construction site management.</p
The effects of exercise on early rheumatoid arthritis: from physiological mechanisms to exercise interventions
No full textRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common inflammatory condition and associates with movement limitations, low cardiorespiratory fitness and impaired physical and psychological health. Exercise is known to improve physical and psychological health in people with RA without affecting disease activity. However, most data on exercise in RA comes from people with established disease (i.e. more than two years since diagnosis), yet disease management guidelines recommend exercise in the early stages of the disease. Thus, there is an urgent need to examine the impact of exercise in early RA. Despite the well-established benefits of exercise in RA, participation in any form of physical activity (PA) is very low amongst this population. Pain and fear of disease aggravation are commonly cited barriers to PA participation. In recent years, the coronavirus pandemic and the associated lockdowns added further barriers to PA engagement. This thesis sought to investigate the utility of exercise among people with early RA and examine the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on PA participation in people with RA.
Chapter 3 systematically reviewed the acute effects of exercise on pain symptoms, clinical inflammatory markers and inflammatory cytokines in RA. The findings suggest acute bouts of exercise did not exacerbate pain symptoms in people with RA, and post-exercise responses for pain, clinical inflammatory markers and inflammatory cytokines appear similar between people with and without RA.
In Chapter 4, the feasibility of varied exercise modes and intensities for people with early RA was investigated. Participants completed the exercise trials in full and enjoyed all exercises. Also, none of the exercise modes or intensities increased pain or fatigue and no adverse effects were observed in blood biomarkers associated with inflammation or joint health.
Chapters 5 and 6 sought to understand how the COVID-19 lockdown impacted PA and associated health aspects among people with RA. PA levels reduced more in people with than those without RA. Novel findings are presented on PA participation in people with RA, as it appears PA remained low throughout lockdown, with minimal improvement even after most restrictions were lifted.
In conclusion, this thesis has showed that acute exercise does not aggravate disease activity and the novel data may indicate the utility of exercise among people with early RA. Furthermore, people with early RA tolerate and enjoy a variety of exercise modes and intensities. This thesis also suggests that PA participation in people with RA has decreased as a result of the pandemic. These findings are important, particularly in the post-COVID era, where PA interventions specific to people with RA are required to address the significant reductions in their PA levels. These findings can hopefully better educate healthcare professionals and people with RA, as well as manage patient fears and expectations around exercise. Future studies should look to explore these themes as they represent important areas of investigation in RA.</p
Race Matters: Adoption and Children of Mixed Race Heritage
No full textWithin the UK adoption has become a highly politicised and racialised practice as successive governments have promoted adoption above other forms of permanence. The Children and Families Act, 2014, controversially removed the requirement that adoption agencies should ‘give due consideration to the child’s religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background’. Using Critical Race Theory and contemporary sociological discourses, this is the first study to examine how social workers have responded to this legislative reform, to examine if and how race matters within adoption. This qualitative study took place in a local authority and its associated adoption agency. Through the use of semi-structured interviews with nine children’s social workers, six adoption social workers, an agency decision-maker and a focus group with eight members of an adoption panel, this study examined the influence of race and ethnicity on adoption practice for children of mixed racial backgrounds. In providing a theoretical discussion of the construction of race and mixed race, this study examines how mixed race identities are conceptualised within social work assessments and how this informs decision-making and matching with prospective adopters. Through the application of critical race methodologies and thematic analysis, the findings suggested that three interrelated themes: Racial Literacy and Social Work; Race, Adoption and Ethical Literacy and Racially Literate Adoption Practice highlight the salience of race within adoption practice. The study found that despite the removal of the ethnicity clause, race continues to matter for mixed race children within English adoption practice, as many social workers demonstrated an ethical commitment to the significance of race for children’s adoptive identities. The study highlighted increased heterogeneity in categories of mixedness as participants sought to understand the complexity of children’s lived experiences. However, the study identified a lack of racial literacy within adoption practice, which was reflected by an inconsistency in how mixed race identities were represented in assessments and reports, and it was difficult to determine how race and ethnicity were considered in placement decisions. The study concluded that race does not need to be an explicit feature of discourse to remain an invisible presence and highlighted the potential of Critical Race Theory to understand racialisation within adoption policy and practice. The study offers recommendations regarding future research; adoption policy and practice, and social work education and training with the intention of improving the experiences of mixed race children who are seeking adoption. </p
Athlete/Parent/Coach European TDEQ Dataset
No full textData from the ICOACHKIDS PLUS European Talent Development Environment study collected March-October 2020. This scale data is from athletes, parents and coaches and was collected using Talent Development Environment Questionnaire-5 and adapted versions (TDEQ-5C & TDEQ5P). A 1-6 Likert scale was used. Item descriptions are the athlete versions.</p
Study the impact of Internal and External key Influencers on the level of adoption of technological Innovation in Affordable Housing Projects
No full textThe availability of various technological innovations in the construction industry is able to enhance the sustainability of affordable housing and promote the development ofsustainable, innovative, affordable houses (SIAH). However, the existing studies do not provide practical knowledge on the impact of key internal and external influencers on the level of adoption of these technological innovationsin affordable housing in the global south. Therefore, the current study scrutinises the impact of the key internal and external influencers on the level of adaptation of technological innovation in South African affordable housing projects. The initial findings were utilised to develop SIAH causal model. The SIAH casual model and the nexus between the constructs/sub-constructs were validated through a structured questionnaire survey returning 517 completed questionnaires by registered home developers in South Africa with structural equation modelling as the analysis method. The study found a low positive impact of internal influences and moderate negative impact of external influences on the level of adoption of technological innovation by home developers in South African affordable housing projects. Moreover, the research proved the high negative mediating impact of external influences on the association between internal influences and technological innovation adoption level. The study deduces that the external influencers are the main drivers of adopting technological innovation in affordable housing. By addressing the external influences, the level of adoption will significantly improve. This is because of both direct and mediating adverse effects of external influencers on the level of adoption of technological innovation in affordable housing projects. The validated casual model can use as a robust framework to reduce the challenges of adaptation to technological innovations in SIAH.</p
Construction Health and Safety Practices on a Roads Agency’s Projects
No full textThe South African construction industry contributes a disproportionate number of fatalities and injuries relative to other industrial sectors, and there is a high level of non-compliance with H&S legislation and regulations in the industry. The current study sought to determine the reasons for H&S non-compliance on a roads agency’s projects. The quantitative method was adopted for the study, which entailed a self-administered questionnaire distributed to construction H&S agents, civil engineers, H&S consultants, design managers, construction project managers, depot managers, and resident engineers involved with the agency’s projects. The salient findings include: respondents generally consider / refer to H&S during the six stages of projects and on eighteen occasions, and undertake nine H&S-related interventions on the roads agency’s projects, and respondents rated themselves above average relative to twelve aspects. Conclusions include: respondents consider / refer to H&S during the six stages of projects and on eighteen occasions more so during the downstream and midstream stages than the upstream stages, and respondents’ knowledge is more extensive with respect to non-designer-related aspects than designer-related aspects. Recommendations include: respondents should consider / refer to H&S more frequently during the first three stages of projects and upstream occasions; project managers should adopt a multi?stakeholder approach, and construction H&S should be embedded in all tertiary built environment.</p