5357 research outputs found
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Planning for Floods: An analysis of planning law and planning practice in flood risk management
Full text linkPh. D. Thesis.Flooding has considerable detrimental economic, social and environmental impacts. These impacts are already being felt in England and the rest of the UK and will further increase in the future with the projected increase in flood risk attributable to climate change and socioeconomic growth. It is widely agreed that urgent steps are needed to more effectively manage flood risk, and these may include changes in the regulatory and planning policy frameworks currently applied to shape development in the built environment. Using a combination of doctrinal and empirical research, this thesis examines the role of the town and country planning system in the management of flood risk, focusing on local planning authorities (LPAs) and an examination of the extent to which they can - and do - manage flood risk effectively. The doctrinal research examines the obligations on LPAs to manage flood risk and the legal planning tools they have at their disposal to do so. The empirical research uses four case studies to collate and present quantitative and qualitative data that has been used to interrogate in each case the relevant LPAs’ management of flood risk in practice. Based on the findings of the doctrinal and empirical research, the thesis makes a number of recommendations for reforms to the planning system and the legal planning tools available to LPAs that would enable them to more effectively manage flood risk.Economic and Social Research Counci
Microbial interactions in tomato solanum iycopersicum for health, growth, and pathogen defence
Full text linkPhD ThesisSolanum lycopersicum is an important vegetable high in vitamin A and C and minerals
such as phosphorus, iron and high in lycopene and beta-carotene. It is considered the
favourite in the food processing and cosmetics industries. S. lycopersicum current
global production is concentrated in the United States of America, China, and India.
The production of S. lycopersicum depends on the application of chemical fertiliser;
however, ecological damages caused by chemical fertiliser far outweigh its benefits.
Thus, there is a need to initiate and adopt eco-friendly cultivation of S. lycopersicum
using vertically transmitted endophytes. In this study, different strains of vertically
transmitted endophytic bacteria were isolated from eight different cultivars of S.
lycopersicum. The findings show that vertically transmitted endophytes are host
specific and display various phenotypes that produce diverse metabolites with different
concentrations. It also demonstrated that treated S. lycopersicum under fertilised
microbial communities performed significantly better than those under the manure
microbial community, untreated microbial community, and the control tank. The finding
also shows that vertically transmitted endophytes in the S. lycopersicum failed to
stimulate interaction between S. lycopersicum and its surrounding soil microbial
communities, which promotes plant growth, increase chlorophyll content, increase
fresh and dried biomass of the plant. Our result further demonstrated no significant
difference when the isolated vertically transmitted endophytes Bb-B-1 was inoculated
on S. lycopersicum under the optimum nutrient condition and deprived nutrient
condition. Finally, the study demonstrates that microbial communities from fertilised
treated soil, manure treated soil, and untreated microbial communities are not involved
in inducing or suppressing Auxin, LelRT1, FER, FROS2 and LeNRT2;3 genes in S.
lycopersicum. It further shows that the S. lycopersicum vertically transmitted
endophytes are not involved in regulating these genes. Whilst no significant result to
demonstrate the possible role of vertically transmitted endophytes the study
demonstrated that S. lycopersicum vertically transmitted endophytes are host specific
and display various phenotypes that produce diverse metabolites with different
concentrations. Further investigation is required to focus on the isolated vertically
transmitted endophytes precisely to understand their possible roles in the plant host.
Additional studies investigating the role of different microbial communities on the host
plant required more time to monitor the suitable duration needed by the microbial
communities to be established in the new environment.PTDF Nigeri
A peer-to-peer exchange framework for microgrids to improve economic and resilient operation
Full text linkPh. D. ThesisPeer-to-peer (P2P) exchange is an emerging approach in smart grids which enables users to share their energy production or storage surplus or the flexibility of their demand with other end-users. This provides benefits to both energy producers and consumers. In this work, a P2P exchange framework methodology is developed. It relies on a Time-of-Use (ToU) tariff scheme to value the benefit in time-shifting demand to low cost / low carbon periods. Two groups of stakeholders are considered, the local distribution network operator (DNO) and the microgrid (MG) users. Energy trading follows three principles: First, energy sharing occurs by using the storage and renewable assets of the microgrid. Second, P2P exchange is enabled during the high-tariff period and third, it is based on cooperation to achieve mutual benefits for the DNO and the MG users. The stakeholders share the cost and benefits of P2P energy trading. The main steps of the developed methodology include a battery sizing process, user categorization and priority order, zoning and optimum battery discharging. The electrical limits of transformer and storage inverter power are considered in the process. The developed methodology investigates the benefits gained by the DNO and MG users. Benefits are examined in terms of economic benefits for the stakeholders (profits), system resilience in case of faults, carbon emissions reduction and energy storage lifetime increase. Case studies are used to illustrate the capabilities of the methodology in determining the expected performance of a P2P scheme under a range of conditions and geographical locations. The results show that this method of P2P exchange will have significantly different impacts depending upon the local conditions for demand, generation, resilience standards and tariff structure.Enzen Global Solutions Lt
Examining the production and perceptions of public space in developing urban environment: an exploration of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Full text linkPh. D. ThesisIn developing countries, there is a growing trend for improving public space which transforms the built environment as well as raises the requirement for better public life. The driving forces to enhance experienced quality of urban spaces play significant role in urban design process. Moreover, according to the new life style and social contexts of market demanding, the current political systems and design styles have to be shifted and adapted so that the quality of these planning can meet the need of local citizens. Additionally, in the light of encouraging human interaction with urban environment, the design for public space raises the awareness of both public and private developers as well as local authorities and professionals in planning. The role of each of stakeholders during planning process may give the opportunities for these spaces to have an attractive appearance, exciting activities, and successful formulated design as well as involving all people.
The study takes place around the feature of walkable streets as public spaces which associated to the discovered and investigation of two pedestrian streets in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This research contributes to the discussion that investigates the nature of planning and control in decision making process in the Southeast Asian’s socialism country. Furthermore, the study tends to explore social influences involving within the management of local authorities, the meaning of places and people’ perceptions on these public spaces. By using the combination of qualitative, quantitative and case study approaches, the research tends to answer how the triad (local authorities, planning professionals, and developers) deals with design planning for public spaces, the perceived of public space and the perception of users while these public spaces are being transformed. The result of this study not only contributes to the fields of urban design in Vietnam (which is very new in this country), but also it raises the awareness to the design for public space through the lens of all stakeholders involve in these places in the context of Southeast Asian cultures and different management system
AMBRA1 as a Biomarker and its Functional Crosstalk with Autophagy and Epidermal Differentiation in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Tumourigenesis
Full text linkPh. D. ThesisCutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) is a skin cancer with an increasing worldwide incidence. While most patients have an excellent prognosis, a subset of patients develop disease recurrence/metastasis, emphasising the need for novel reliable prognostic biomarkers, as well as an improved understanding of the cellular signalling mechanisms underlying cSCC tumourigenesis and progression. Autophagy is essential for cellular homeostasis and keratinocyte differentiation, with the deregulation of both processes being associated with cSCC tumourigenesis. As a key protein to both autophagy and keratinocyte differentiation, the aim of the current study was to define crosstalk between AMBRA1 and the deregulation of these processes in cSCC development and progression and its potential, together with the associated autophagy cargo protein SQSTM1 (p62), as prognostic biomarkers. Biomarker assay development and analysis in a cohort of primary cSCC tumours revealed that loss of cytoplasmic AMBRA1 expression in the tumour growth front, in combination with loss of cytoplasmic p62 expression in the peritumoural epidermis, as putative prognostic biomarkers for cSCC reoccurrence and metastasis, independent of tumour differentiation status. Importantly, the combined loss of these proteins also identified moderately/poorly differentiated primary cSCC tumours at high risk of metastasis. Studies of the potential contribution of cullin E3 ligase-mediated degradation or TGF-β2-mediated downregulation of AMBRA1 in cSCC cell lines revealed only increased levels of TGF-β2 secretion correlated with loss of AMBRA1 expression. Furthermore, although chemical inhibition of TGF-β signalling inhibited cSCC cell proliferation in vitro, no effect on AMBRA1 expression levels was observed, suggesting an undefined TGF-β2 independent-mediated mechanism of AMBRA1 loss in cSCC. Studies investigating AMBRA1 involvement in keratinocyte differentiation and autophagy further demonstrated AMBRA1 expression in keratinocytes initially relies on autophagy activation but is later maintained by epidermal differentiation-related calcium signalling. Additional studies also revealed that this calcium-signalling mediated regulation of AMBRA1 expression is lost during cSCC tumourigenesis, likely resulting in the maintenance of a dedifferentiated cell phenotype, facilitating sustained tumour cell proliferation. This further highlights that loss of AMBRA1 expression as a key event in the uncoupling of autophagy and keratinocyte differentiation in cSCC development.
Collectively these data highlight the tumour suppressive role of AMBRA1 in cSCC and its loss of expression in the tumour growth front, in combination with the loss of peritumoural epidermal p62 expression, as a novel prognostic biomarker for cSCC reoccurrence and metastasis.European Regional Development Fund, Northern Powerhouse and AMLo Biosciences Ltd
Optimisation of energy usage and carbon emissions for an advancedanaerobic digester plant
Full text linkPhD ThesisIn this thesis Northumbrian Water Limited’s (NWL) Advanced Anaerobic Digester (AAD)
plant at Howdon was used to investigate modelling and optimisation opportunities based on
energy prices, demands and their new greenhouse gas emissions pledge. It is believed this site
is the first in the UK with a mixed operational strategy for biogas and biomethane produced
on site: to burn in Combined Heat and Power (CHP) engines to create electricity, burn in
Steam Boilers for onsite steam use or inject the biomethane into the national grid - Natural
Gas can be imported to make up shortfalls in biomethane if required.
Initially, a realistic model for the gas distribution on site was developed using a novel mixed
integer linear programming (MILP) approach. Retrospective Optimisation (RO) using
historical plant data was performed, with results indicating the plant operated optimally
within accepted tolerance 98% of the time. However, improving plant robustness (such as
reducing unexpected breakdown incidents) could yield a significant increase in gas revenue
of 7.8%.
Next, the gas distribution model is developed further as a realistic MILP model for energy
and carbon management where operators are provided with a visual daily operational
schedule based on varying tariffs. The results indicate that biomethane injection should be
maximised for the highest financial gain, with the driving force for optimising the remaining
operations being the site electricity demand and whether the electricity purchased from the
grid generates carbon emissions, based on the new carbon performance commitment.
Using the developed energy and carbon model a sensitivity analysis was performed on
electricity tariffs, natural gas prices, the volume of biogas production and the Biomethane
Upgrade Plant (BUP) processing limits. The results reinforce the understanding that
maximising biomethane injection into the national grid is the most cost-effective operational
strategy. Second to this, the optimal operation of the CHP engines is subject to the available
excess biogas available after BUP processing and the current daily energy prices. To ensure
the site always maintains a positive revenue, operators should ensure that at least 20,000
Nm3
/day of raw biogas can be processed and injected into the national grid.
Finally, an investigation into the unique modelling problem regarding the three on site
Anaerobic Digesters (ADs) was performed. A key parameter used in the current optimisation
model is the amount of biogas that is produced on site each day, however currently an
average daily value is used based on historical data. To improve the optimisation, it would be
better to provide a more accurate prediction based on current state of the ADs and the
expected sludge processing volumes into the ADs. The lack of individual gas flow data for
each AD posed an interesting challenge in predicting the total biogas flow produced on site.
Multiple linear models of the onsite AD’s were investigated but were not accurate enough to
be used on site. A NARX (Nonlinear autoregressive with external input) Neural Network was
developed to model all three anaerobic digesters as a single process for the day ahead
prediction of biogas production. The resulting optimal NARX model can accurately predict
the biogas production on a day-ahead basis over 95% of the time
Vitamin D status and biomarkers of functional health and ageing in very-old adults : analysis of the Newcastle 85+ study
Full text linkPhD ThesisThe number of those aged over 80 years-old (the “very-old”) will increase from 5% of the
population in European countries in 2010, to more than 10% of the population by 2050
(OECD, 2013). Very little is known about the nutritional intake, nutritional status and its
association with health and wellbeing in the very-old. Due to its diverse biological effects,
vitamin D has gained immense interest recently as a potential modifier for a range of health
outcomes This PhD systematically reviewed the available literature to provide an accurate
snapshot of vitamin D status in the very-old. It also used a unique dataset from the
Newcastle 85+ Study, a longitudinal community-dwelling study of health trajectory and
outcomes conducted in over 800 people from the North-East of England aged 85 years.
The overall aim of using this data were to explore vitamin D association with a range of
functional and ageing biomarkers in the very-old. Vitamin D status [25(OH)D] was
available for 775 participants, and measured by immunoassays at baseline only and divided
to the following concentration: 50 nmol/l
(high). Disability was measured using a questionnaire on the difficulty of performing 17
Activities of Daily Living at baseline, 1.5, 3 and 5 years. NTproBNP was measured using
an electrochemiluminescent sandwich immunoassay. The HbA1c was measured using a
Tosoh Eurogenetics automated HLC-723G7 HPLC analyser. Telomere Length was
measured as an abundance of telomeric template vs. a single gene by quantitative real-time
PCR. Spirometry and peak flow measurements were to obtain three technically satisfactory
maximal effort ‘blows’ to generate reproducible FEV1and FVC. Results of the systematic
review showed that prevalence of deficiency varies by latitude and living conditions of the
participants, and that vitamin D deficiency is widespread in many regions, particularly in
Europe. Using the Newcastle 85+ Study data also showed a high prevalence of vitamin D
deficiency (>30%) was found amongst very-old adults. Findings of this thesis indicate that
participants with low 25(OH)D concentration (<25 nmol/l) were more likely to have a
poorer disability trajectory over 5 years compared with those with moderate concentration
(25–50 nmol/l) (OR= 3.12, 95% CI= 1.6–5.8, p= 0.001), although physical activity was the
strongest predictor of disability trajectories. However, this thesis could not prove the
protective effect of vitamin D in regards to metabolic and cardiopulmonary health
biomarkers (NT-proBNP, HbA1c, FEV1, FVC and diastolic blood pressure) in fully
adjusted models at baseline or over 18 and 36 months. Finally, high 25(OH)D
concentration is positively associated with Telomere Length (95%CI= 12.0-110.3, B=
61.2+25.0, p=0.015) but does not have protective effects over 18 and 36 months. In
conclusion, this thesis highlights that vitamin D deficiency is very common in very-old
adults and that low vitamin D status is associated with at least some functional and ageing
biomarkers in this under studied age group.Saudi Arabian
Government and to Umm Al Qura Universit
Simulating and visualising the hydrological and landscape impacts of reservoir engineering at Crummock Water, England
Full text linkEng. D. ThesisThe Earth’s 57,000 large water reservoirs have significant impacts on hydrology and
landscapes. Meanwhile, environmental degradation is destabilising the climate, ecosystems,
and hydrological functionality. In Europe and North America, landscape-scale environmental
management schemes are being proposed, including reservoir decommissioning to
rehabilitate river catchments. Yet, some proposed schemes have failed due to poor
stakeholder engagement and shifting environmental baselines. This research has developed
novel approachesto address these issues. It has applied these to Crummock Water raised lake
in England, where United Utilities and the Environment Agency are investigating the feasibility
of removing infrastructure to renaturalise the lake and the River Cocker.
The hydrological impacts of anthropogenic modifications in Crummock Water’s catchment
were assessed using existing data, expanded hydrometric monitoring, hydrological modelling,
and archival research. Circa 1880, Crummock Water’s outlet was excavated and two timber
weirs installed to control outflows. In 1903, the extant masonry weir was built, raising the lake
level ~0.6 m. Abstraction reduces lake levels, which necessitates sluice operations to maintain
outflows during dry periods, causing further drawdown. Hydrological models of reservoircontaining catchments should include reservoir processes. SHETRAN 4.5 (‘Reservoir’)software
was developed to integrate reservoir structures and operations into a physically-based,
spatially-distributed hydrology model. A SHETRAN-Reservoir model of the Crummock Water
catchment substantially outperformed a SHETRAN-Standard model, particularly during and
after dry periods. Several reservoir decommissioning scenarios were constructed. Simulations
indicate that decommissioning would ameliorate drawdown of Crummock Water and make
the River Cocker’s flow regime more dynamic.
The simulated landscape impacts of reservoir engineering at Crummock Water were shown in
the context of long-term catchment evolution using 4D landscape visualisation. The
catchment’s evolution was conceptualised, before being digitally reconstructed and rendered
using GeoVisionary software. The resulting 4D landscape model spanned 14,000 years, from
the last Ice Age to (simulated) renaturalisation scenarios in 2030. The effects of 4D landscape
visualisation on stakeholder attitudes were investigated, using surveys and workshops with
45 participants in two treatments (‘long’ and ‘short’ visualisation). It was hypothesised that
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presenting extended landscape evolution information would change (H1) stakeholder beliefs
around catchment naturalness, and (H2) attitudes towards reservoir renaturalisation. Results
showed that the workshops changed both beliefs and attitudes towards renaturalisation.
Furthermore, the extended evolution information had a statistically significant effect on
attitudes (H2), but not on beliefs (H1).
This EngD has developed tools to support decision-making in reservoir engineering and
landscape-scale environmental projects: firstly, hydrological and landscape models to show
the impacts of reservoir decommissioning at Crummock Water; secondly, a generic freelyavailable physically-based, spatially-distributed modelling package for simulating the
hydrological impacts of reservoir operations; thirdly, a new approach to visualising simulated
hydrological changes, such as lake levels, and landscape evolution in 4D, and; fourthly, an
approach to visualising proposed environmental management schemes in the context of longterm landscape evolution, to reset shifting environmental baselines. Finally, the research
findings have been synthesised into a landscape visualisation development framework to
support enhanced stakeholder engagement in future landscape-scale projects.Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) and United
Utilities pl
Investment formation of social capital benefits for value creation and strategy enhancement : the case of SMEs in the UK’s construction industry
Full text linkPh. D. ThesisAddressing calls for research into social capital (SC), value creation (VC), and business sustainability (BST), this study answers: What strategies do individual SMEs in the UK’s construction industry apply to generate SC benefits through network engagements? How do SMEs, in the construction industry in the UK, create value from the SC benefits generated through network engagements? and How do SC benefits enhance business sustainability (BST) strategies of SMEs in the UK’s construction industry?
This exploratory and interpretive study adopts a social constructivist epistemology to examine, through abductive analysis, the ‘lived experiences’ of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), when their managers and/or directors engage with networks to generate SC benefits, create value, and enhance BST strategies. Forty-one interviews are thematically analysed producing seven findings. First, SMEs deliberately undertake actions to engage with strategic stakeholders. Second, SMEs prioritise stakeholders to generate SC benefits. Third, SMEs prioritise specific actions to generate SC benefits. Fourth, there are categories and representations of SC benefits unaccounted for in the SC literature. Fifth, SMEs execute strategic actions to transform SC benefits into value. Sixth, there are value representations across six categories not accounted for in the SC-VC literature. And seventh, SC benefits trigger VC and strategy enhancement in SMEs. Findings encourage managers to adjust network engagement strategies following actions suggested in this study; nonetheless, contextual limitations demand research beyond the UK and its construction industry to better understand the SC-VC-BST strategy relationship.
In summary, contributions of this study are fourfold. First, recognition of premeditated actions, supporting synergistic strategies, that SMEs adopt to generate SC benefits. Second, recognition of additional SC benefits not currently present in the management literature. Third, acknowledgement of value categories and representations transformed from SC benefits. And fourth, clarification of process and nature of relationship between SC benefits, their transformation into value, and enhancement of firms’ BST strategies
Cybersecurity Regulation in the Financial Sector: Reflexive Risk Management in the UK, USA and Nigeria
Full text linkPh. D. ThesisThe consistent increase in the scale and forms of cyber threats, alongside the growth in use and
global uptake of communications technologies, has made risk management a core function of
21st century service providers. This has necessitated the proactive mitigation of cyber threats
and the integration of frameworks, policies and regulations that ensure the security of financial
transactions. Exploring reflexivity as a mechanism for informing adaptive and resilient
cybersecurity risk management practices, this thesis examines structures of coexistence
between criminal justice and self-regulatory responses, multiple cycles of reflexive processes
of self-examination, participation, communication, and revisions to influence future practices
in ever evolving risk and policy landscapes. This thesis evaluates the review, identification, and
control dimensions of cybersecurity risk management frameworks, analyses self-regulatory
cybersecurity standards and specific cybersecurity legal frameworks applicable to financial
institutions in the UK, US, and Nigeria, which can be implemented and/or remodelled to
enhance the effectiveness of cybersecurity risk regulation.
It observes that while effective cybersecurity risk regulation across the financial
institutions is being hampered by factors such as cherry-picked laws, unclear mandates, and a
lack of coordination between public and private stakeholders, strong implementation and
enforcement structures may be facilitated by initiatives directed at networked governance and
institutional arrangements involving a shared understanding of cyber threats and decision making processes. This thesis highlights the link between reflexivity and governance for
learning in financial institutions, arguing that reflexivity will always not deliver learning, in the
absence of good institutional structures of governance. Employing realist and constructivist risk
theories and secondary analysis of qualitative data obtained from government and non government agencies to inform practices and steer regulatory policy decisions, this thesis
identifies measures to enhance effective cybersecurity risk regulation in financial institutions
and addresses possible challenges to reflexivity in cybersecurity risk regulation