5357 research outputs found
Sort by
Staged events in the conduct of elite philanthropy
Get PDFPh. D. Thesis.Drawing on Bourdieusian and Goffmanian social theory, this thesis is the first exhaustive
research on staged events in the conduct of elite philanthropy. Other scholars, within different
domains, have focused on specific types of events such as festivals and meetings, but no prior
researcher has conducted a systematic, field-wide study of the nature and purpose of staged
events and their role in the functioning, maintenance and development of the philanthropic
field. Elite staged philanthropic events are regular social occurrences and in various ways are
critical to the effective management and performance of the third sector. Following
consideration of relevant literature and theoretical perspectives, the thesis examines in turn
the context and frequency of different types of staged events, power and the performativity of
elite philanthropic events, frontstage and backstage interactions in the conduct of staged
events, and the processes involved in delivering them. In conclusion, I answer the focal
research question framing the thesis: what is the role of staged events in the functioning,
maintenance and development of organizational fields?
The empirical foundation of my thesis consists of eight in-depth case studies of highprofile staged philanthropic events within the UK, four addressing local audiences and four
addressing national audiences. I observed 12 staged events in total (one case study involved
multiple events), attended 15 related meetings, and conducted 41 semi-structured interviews
with event managers, event owners, event sponsors, venue providers and event guests. I also
collected internal and external documents relating to the organization and conduct of the
events sponsored by my eight case study organizations. The data were coded and analysed
iteratively using abductive reasoning to identify important themes and issues. These were
explored and interpreted with reference to my theoretical schema to develop fresh insights
regarding elite power and the performativity of staged events within the philanthropic field.
Little has been published on the role of staged events within the philanthropic field or
indeed within any organizational field. My research contributes to the literature in five ways.
First, I find that elite staged philanthropic events are a form of performative agency
connecting entities with processes, outcomes with experiences. Secondly, I specify an elite
philanthropic event as a non-routine class reproducing structuring-structure operating
through performative interactions within the field of power. Thirdly, I develop a
dramaturgical perspective on staged events by comparing and contrasting frontstage
performances with backstage interactions. Fourthly, I contribute to the process literature by
identifying five generic phases through which elite staged philanthropic events unfold as
conceiving, preparing, selling, performing and learning. Finally, I move beyond the existing
philanthropy literature in putting forward a new typology of elite staged philanthropic events,
classified as ritual performers, societal stabilizers, community navigators and
transformational change drivers
Poly (ethylene glycol)-interpenetrated genipin-crosslinked chitosan hydrogels for controlled drug delivery
Get PDFPhD ThesisSmart hydrogels are of increasing interest for controlled drug delivery as they can be used as drug carriers to deliver cargo biomolecules in response to specific physiological signals at tailored rhythm. In this project, pH-responsive hydrogels containing chitosan, genipin, and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) are investigated. Owing to good biocompatibility and pH-sensitivity, chitosan was used as the main polymeric backbone, while genipin was employed as a low-toxic crosslinker to bridge chitosan molecules. To enhance the level of control in hydrogel microarchitecture and achieve reproducible properties, PEG was added to form semi-interpenetrating networks. The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate injectable and degradable chitosan-genipin-PEG hydrogels and the feasibility of using them to control drug delivery.
The chitosan-genipin hydrogels, with and without PEG, were synthesised under mild conditions (37oC, 24 h) and in a range of shapes (disc, bead, and film). The hydrogels had dark blue colour and intrinsic fluorescence (580 nm excitation and 630 nm emission), due to oxygen radical-induced polymerisation of genipin, as well as the reaction with amino groups of chitosan. The bead-shaped hydrogels were discrete and spherical with diameters ranging from 1 to 30 μm. The disc-shaped hydrogels (13 mm in diameter and 8 mm in height) had microporous structures with pore diameters ranging from 11 to 57 μm and average cross-sectional porous areas of 40% to 64%. Compared to disc-shaped chitosan-genipin hydrogels, presence of PEG up to 1.9 mM generated the same effect as increasing the genipin content, yielding structures with a smaller pore diameter, a lower swelling degree in pH 2 buffer and a higher elastic modulus. Considering cost effectiveness and scale-up production, reducing genipin content by the addition of PEG is favourable. Importantly, hydrogels containing higher concentration of PEG (2.9 mM and above) showed a sudden increase in the swelling degree accompanied with a decrease in the elastic modulus. The release profiles of two drug molecules (perindopril erbumine and 1-methyl D-tryptophan) with different solubility from disc-shaped hydrogels revealed their swelling-controlled kinetic, which fitted well to the Korsmeyer-Peppas model, indicating a non-Fickian transport mechanism.
Cytotoxicity assays of hydrogel films towards 3T3 fibroblasts showed that the cells retained normal adhesive properties and high viability on gels with 3.1 mM and 4.4 mM genipin but not on gels with 1.7 mM genipin, suggesting a strong correlation between hydrogels’ stiffness and cell attachment/growth. Adding PEG enhanced the viability of 3T3 cells cultured on hydrogel films. To facilitate comparison, the inflammatory responses of DC 2.4 dendritic cells, RAW 264.7
ii
macrophage cells, and bone marrow-derived macrophages to uncrosslinked chitosan and crosslinked chitosan-genipin hydrogel films/beads were investigated. Despite induced mRNA expression of some cytokines in all treated cell types (especially up to 2435-fold increase in interferon-β gene expression found in hydrogel film-exposed DC 2.4), no increased levels of five inflammatory cytokines were detected, suggesting the hypo-inflammatory properties of chitosan-genipin hydrogels. The biodegradation of hydrogel films upon exposure to lysozyme and the biodegradation of macrogels after subcutaneous injection in mice were monitored efficiently using the intrinsic fluorescence of hydrogels. Results suggest that the in vivo degradation rate depends critically on where the hydrogel is deposited in tissues. The subcutaneous injection of hydrogel beads induced interferon-β gene transcription significantly and no local skin lesion was observed, suggesting a good biocompatibility in vivo. Collectively, the findings presented in this study provide valuable guidance to further develop these biocompatible, biodegradable, and injectable chitosan-genipin hydrogels as autonomous drug delivery systems
A mathematical framework for human pluripotent stem cell behaviour
Get PDFPh. D. Thesis.Human pluripotent stem cells, hPSCs, have unparalleled potential for developments
in regenerative medicine, personalised medicine and drug discovery. For these
promising clinical applications to become a reality, a deeper understanding of their
complex behaviours across a multi-scale hierarchy is required. The use of techniques
from mathematics and physics allows the identification of the systematic and universal
behaviours inherent in a biological system, provides a framework for comparisons, tests
and predictions, and can ultimately guide experimental decision making. We take a
methodical approach to developing coherent models of hPSC behaviours, considering
some of their key properties in isolation. The range of models developed includes a
descriptive analysis of cell movements that leads to their association into pairs and
further into colonies, the growth of clonal cell groups within a colony and the dynamics
of intra-cellular pluripotency.
We consider the kinematics of single and pairs of hPSCs in two-dimensions using
time-lapse microscopy imaging, quantifying their movements within a random walk
framework and characterising their inherent correlation properties. This analysis
reveals single cells perform an unusual anisotropic random walk along a local axis, with
increased migration speeds in the direction of cell elongation. Pairs of cells in close
proximity show a preference for moving in the same direction. The addition of a
common biological marker (CellTracer) negatively impacts the motility of both single
and pairs of cells.
Clonal (genetically identical) hPSC colonies are required for many in-vitro
applications. We consider the impact of spatial colony growth on undesirable clonality
loss. Our experimental data show that colony populations are multi-modal, with a
growth rate dependent on the number of founding cells. From this data, we extract the
parameters for a stochastic exponential growth model which can be used to predict the
time at which clonality is lost due to the merging of neighbouring colonies at different
seeding densities.
Finally, we examine the internal regulation of cell pluripotency – the defining
characteristic of hPSCs which allows for their differentiation into other cell types.
Pluripotency is regulated by a complex network of pluripotency transcription factors
(PTFs). We use experimental data to quantify the temporal regulation of the PTF
OCT4 in a growing stem cell colony using the Hurst exponent, autocorrelation and
diffusion analysis. We then present a ‘tool kit’ of temporal models which can be used
to capture the fluctuation of PTFs (as a proxy for cell pluripotency) and evaluate the
successes and limitations of each model.
Throughout this work the mathematics is rigorously underpinned by experimental
results. Our global aim is to apply a variety of mathematical tools to deepen our
understanding of stem cell behaviours and bridge the gap between experiments and
theory
Let’s Talk… : Improving engagement and collaboration in continuous professional learning and development for teachers in further education
No full textD. Ed ThesisThe professionalism and continuous development of teachers in the further education sector is an ongoing debate which has challenged government both past and present. As a result, numerous policies on developing teachers and their professionalism have been introduced along with recommendations on how teachers in the further education sector should develop their practice.
As a newly appointed learning, teaching and assessment co-ordinator, in a further education college in the north of England I decided to carry out an action research project. This role held the responsibility of the professional learning and development of teachers across the organisation. The main aim of the research was to increase the engagement and collaborative learning of teachers using cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) as the theoretical framework. Conversely, a greater understanding of teachers’ perceptions of professional learning and development was a fundamental starting point for the research. A new approach to the continuous professional development of teaching staff across the whole organisation was introduced. This involved the whole college teaching community, with teachers from each curriculum department attending training needs analysis meetings at the beginning of the academic year. A sample group of 23 teachers and 5 managers from across various curriculum areas were additionally, and directly, involved as research participants, completing questionnaires and interviews.
The research findings highlighted the complexities of collaborative learning which resonates with Engeström’s activity theory and learning at work. There was greater engagement and collaboration identified. Yet this was more evident with some, but not all, teachers. There was a variation in circumstance which may have influenced whether a teacher chose to engage or not. These included established departmental cultures, the impact of government policy on practice as well as individual perceptions of self and how the experiences encountered were interpreted
Characterisation and structural biology of protein arginine methyltransferases
Get PDFPhD ThesisPost-translational and epigenetic modifications of proteins and nucleic acids are known
to play major roles in influencing cell fate. Enzymes that catalyse modifications such
as phosphorylation, acetylation and methylation have been identified as promising
drug targets. Protein methyltransferase 2 (PRMT2) and Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) belong to the class of Type 1 PRMTs which catalyse the asymmetric dimethylation of substrate arginine residues. CARM1 has been
shown to be overexpressed in different cancer types including breast and prostate
cancer. PRMT2 has been identified as a potential target for oncology with reported
links to androgen receptor signalling, NF-κB signalling and induction of apoptosis.
However, selective chemical probes that could be used as tools for target validation
and which could potentially be a starting point for drug discovery are still missing.
The work presented here aims to identify selective CARM1 and PRMT2 inhibitors
that target the cofactor- and substrate-binding sites. Crystal structures of mouse
PRMT2 in the apo-state and in complex with Sinefungin are presented. Crystal structures of the catalytic domain of CARM1 in complex with the cofactor S-adenosyl Lhomocysteine (SAH) and different small molecule inhibitors were also determined. Surface plasmon resonance was used to characterise inhibitor binding to CARM1 and
identify structure-activity relationships. To further map the CARM1 active site, ligand
soaks of CARM1 with a library of small fragments called FragLites were performed.
These small fragments can more readily find potential binding pockets than larger more
drug-like inhibitors. A direct and label-free mass spectrometry-based assay was developed to measure CARM1 activity and its inhibition. Together these findings can be
used to further develop inhibitors that target the PRMT family. These inhibitors will be
useful tools to investigate the biology of PRMT2 and CARM1 and to understand their
biological role in cancer
An exploration of the lived experiences of gender diverse young people in schools
Get PDFD. App. Ed. Psy. ThesisThis thesis explores the lived experiences of gender diverse (GD) young people (YP)
in schools. It comprises of four chapters: a Systematic Literature Review, a
methodological and ethical critique, a piece of empirical research and a reflective
synthesis.
Chapter 1
This chapter reports on a Systematic Literature Review, synthesising five papers. It
explores how transgender and cisgender YP’s experiences of education differ. All
five of the studies explored found that transgender youth experience more risk
factors than their cisgender peers. Furthermore, these experiences were found to be
unique to transgender students when compared to non-heterosexual cisgender
peers, with whom they are often linked.
Chapter 2
This chapter provides a methodological and ethical critique of possible and relevant
research designs and methods that have been employed in my empirical research.
This includes a reflection on my positionality as a researcher and how the ontological
and epistemological viewpoints I espouse have underpinned the methodological and
ethical decisions I have made throughout my thesis.
Chapter 3
While the exploration into the experiences of GD YP is a growing field within
psychological and educational research, much of the current research available has
explored the negative experiences faced by GD YP and the detrimental impact this
has had on their outcomes both within school and into adulthood. This chapter
reports an empirical research project involving two GD YP. It provides a qualitative
exploration of participants’ experiences of education, exploring both positive and
negative elements. Findings are discussed in relation to previous literature.
Limitations and implications for schools, as well as for Educational Psychologists,
are highlighted.
Chapter 4
This chapter demonstrates what the work has meant to me as a practitioner and
researcher, and what the next steps are for me as I become a fully qualified
Educational Psychologist. It also explores some of the critical thinking processes I
went through during my research journey and the challenges I faced particularly
considering the COVID-19 pandemi
Optical MEMS sensors for wall-shear stress measurements
Get PDFPh. D. Thesis.This research reports on the development and experimental characterisation of optical
sensors based on Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) technologies for walls hear stress quantification in turbulent boundary-layer flows. The MEMS sensors are
developed to measure the instantaneous wall-shear stress directly via a miniature
flush-mounted floating element, which is on the order of hundreds of microns square.
The floating element is suspended flush to the wall by up to four specially designed
micro-springs. As the flow passes over the wall, the sensor’s floating element moves,
allowing direct measurement of the local forces exerted by the flow on the wall. A new
optical transduction scheme based on the Moiré fringe pattern is developed alongside
with an optical pathway to measure the instantaneous wall-shear stress using a single
photodetector. Using this new optical technique consists of a lens array and fibre optics
that provides the ability to detect the wall-shear stress using different sensing element
sizes, leads to miniaturisation of sensors. Utilising the lens array, the focused light spot
size is controlled, providing the opportunity of scanning the Moiré fringe pattern area on
the sensors with different sensing element sizes.
The microfabrication process of the devices are carried out by using a four mask bulk
Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) process and a BF33 wafer, where each device is placed at
the center of a 5 mm × 5mm chip. Two generations of sensor packaging are developed
to accommodate the sensors’ dies as well as the sensors’ optoelectronics, whilst the
floating element is flush-mounted to the surface. The MEMS sensors calibration is
carried out in a laminar flow rig over a wall-shear stress range of 0 to 5.32 Pa, where the
results indicate a sensitivity range of 38 to 740 nm/Pa, an accuracy range of 1.4 to 2.36%
and a repeatability range of 0.68 to 1.96%. The value of the of minimum detectable
wall-shear stress for the developed MEMS wall-shear stress sensors varies in a range
of 17 to 593 µPa, resulting in a minimum and maximum dynamic range value of 79
dB and 109 dB, respectively. The results from the dynamic characterisation indicate a
resonant frequency range of 1 to 8.3 kHz. In a series of wind tunnel experiments over
a range of Reτ = 560 to 1320, the instantaneous wall-shear stress within the turbulent
boundary-layer flow is measured simultaneously by the MEMS sensors and an by either
hot-wire anemometry or laser Doppler velocimetry using the near-wall velocity gradient
technique. Excellent agreement is observed in the time series and statistics across
these three independant measurement techniques.Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAgE), Newcastle Universit
Developing Resilience through Collaborative Planning : A Case Study of Ferbane
Get PDFPh.D Thesis.The reshaping of the Irish economy over recent decades has threatened the resilience of small
Irish towns previously dependent on resource extraction. This thesis focuses on one such
town, Ferbane in Co. Offaly, made vulnerable when the winding-down of peat-fired
electricity generation was announced in the late 1990s. In seeking to address such issues of
rural decline, a model of collaborative planning called Integrated Area Planning (IAP) was
developed and applied in Ferbane over the period 2001-2019. IAP had a deliberatively
normative agenda, proposing that collaborative planning has the potential to prepare
communities for innovation and ultimately for transformation.
This thesis seeks to apply a resilience lens to the Integrated Area Planning framework, asking
whether the process of IAP assisted in developing community resilience in Ferbane.
Following a literature review, this question is operationalised by considering four key
characteristics attributed to a resilient town. These are as follows: the town has implemented a
development plan; the community has strong leadership; it displays a high degree of social
capital; and it has the capacity to develop the local economy. In other words, the town
possesses transformative capacity that allows it to invent new structure, enabling it to thrive in
an unpredictable and changeable environment.
Data presented ranges over the period 2001-2019 from qualitative, quantitative and
documentary sources and was collected in parallel with the IAP, giving a rare longitudinal
insight into this process. The thesis concludes that collaborative planning can stimulate
pathways towards achieving transformative resilience. However, resilience cannot be
achieved without a sympathetic policy and political environment. While the concept of
resilience-building through collaborative planning was accepted in principle by elected
representatives and state agencies in this case, it cannot be said to have succeeded in
significantly changing planning systems and practices, such that many structural and
institutional barriers remain
Understanding international postgraduate students’ adjustment in a British university: motivations for study abroad and subsequent academic, sociocultural and psychological experiences
Get PDFPh. D. Thesis.The rapid growth of international student mobility has become an increasingly important
feature of the higher education landscape in recent decades (Yu and Moskal, 2019). With the
continually growing population of students studying abroad, the subsequent adjustment
experiences are receiving greater research attention (Wang, 2018).
Therefore, following a growing trend in the UK research context (Young et al., 2013,
Schartner and Young, 2016, Yu and Moskal, 2019), this longitudinal study investigated the
adjustment process of full-time taught MA Degree postgraduate international students from
the humanities and social sciences at a single British university. The focus was on their
motivations for study abroad and subsequent academic, socio-cultural, and psychological
adjustment.
A mixed-methods research design was adopted, combing qualitative interviews and
quantitative questionnaire surveys. The qualitative phrase aimed to identify students’
academic, socio-cultural, and psychological adjustment trajectories over time. The
questionnaires were introduced as a complement to measure some specific issues, including
perceived benefits of studying abroad, difficulties and relevant coping strategies, friendship,
and social contacts (N=120, 108 and 102). Both interviews (N=16) and questionnaire surveys
(N=120,108, and 102) were conducted in three stages across a nine-month period: The
beginning of students’ programs of study (October 2018), the beginning of their second
semester (February 2019), and the end of their taught period (June 2019).
The findings indicated that adjustment is a complex process affected by many factors, and
‘success’ in all three domains’ was closely related to the help from co-nationals. The data
revealed that the perceived value of the overseas study, personal or family-related reasons,
and financial issues were deemed the main factors motivating students to pursue overseas
study. The students themselves tended to focus more on academic rather than socio-cultural
and psychological adjustment. Therefore, they felt more satisfied with their academic
experiences. In the sociocultural domain, due to the issues such as personal agency or
perceived cultural distance, international students usually lacked contact with host students.
In terms of psychological adjustment, it was found that most of the students had a positive
experience, although it was affected by their academic performance at times. Overall, the
research data did not support the ‘U-curve’ hypothesis of adjustment. Various internal or
external factors, individual attitudes, and expectations affected the adjustment directly or
indirectly. This research provides theoretical and empirical knowledge on the adjustment of international
students in the UK and fills an existing gap in cross-cultural perspectives. This research
approach can be adopted in studies within other research contexts, especially in other global
Western universities. In practical terms, it increases current knowledge or potentially enriches
the quality of support international students when they study in the U
Ultrasound data communication system for bioelectronic medicines
Get PDFPhD ThesisThe coming years may see the advent of distributed implantable devices to support
bioelectronic medicinal treatments. Such treatments could be complementary and, in
some cases, may even prove superior to pharmaceutical treatments for certain chronic
disease conditions. Therefore, a significant research effort is being undertaken in the
bioelectronics domain. Target conditions include diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease,
lupus, and arthritis.
Modern active medical implantable devices require communications to transmit
information to the outside world or other implantable sub-systems. This can include
physiological data, diagnostics, and parameters to optimise the therapeutic protocol.
However, the communication scheme can be very challenging especially for deeper
devices. Challenges include absorption and scattering by tissue, and the need to ensure
there are no undesirable heating effects. Wired connectivity is undesirable and tissue
absorption of traditional radio frequency and optical methods mean that ultrasound
communications have significant potential in this niche.
In this thesis, a reliable and efficient ultrasonic communication telemetry is presented.
An omnidirectional transducer has been employed to implement intra body
communication inside a model of the human body. A prototype has been implemented
to evaluate the system performance in saline and up to 30 distance between the
transmitter and receiver. Short pulses sequences with guard intervals have been
employed to minimise the multipath effect that leads to an increase in the bit and thus
packet error rates with distance. Error detection and correction code have been
employed to improve communication at a low signal to noise ratio. The data rate is
limited to 0.6 due to the necessary guard intervals. Energy per bit and current
consumption for the transmitter and receiver main parts are presented and discussed
in terms of battery life. Transmission can be achieved at an energy cost of 642 per
bit data packet using on/off power cycling in the electronics