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Affordable aberration corrected ultra-widefield retinal imaging
No full textAbstract not currently available
Developing a nurse-led palliative care intervention for adults with cancer and their family caregivers in the resource-challenged context of Indonesia
Get PDFBackground: Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world. The prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases is high. Cancer diagnosis and treatment are often delayed for more than three months due to limited resources, thus delaying treatment and appropriate supportive care. Indonesia also lacks a formal policy on services to support adults with cancer who need palliative care. Meanwhile, there is a culture that the family has responsibility for caring for their family members. This role increases the burden on family caregivers. In addition, nurses have a pivotal role in palliative care. This doctoral study aimed to identify the need for and develop a nurse-led intervention for adults with cancer and their family caregivers in West Java Province, Indonesia, which will be tested and implemented in postdoctoral work.
Methods: This study is a mixed-methods study carried out in four stages. Stage 1 synthesised evidence on palliative care service development in the countries listed as being in levels 1-3 of palliative care development to justify the main components of the service and suggest the appropriate modes of operation in Indonesia. Stage 2 investigated the current structure of the service, patient access, as well as the type of services and how they work. Stage 3 surveyed the level of needs and the burdens on people and family caregivers. Stage 4 involved gathering participants' views and expectations of a nurse-led intervention via semi-structured interviews. Ethics approval was granted by the University of Glasgow College of Medicine, the veterinary and Life Sciences Ethics Committee (ref no. 200180198) and Hasan Sadikin Hospital. Data were collected using a search strategy for the systematic review, document observation for the audit, surveys using four questionnaires, and an interview topic guide for the interviews. Descriptive statistics were computed and reported for the quantitative data, while thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data analysis. Integrated findings from all four stages were used to map the main components of the proposed new intervention and suggest its mode of operation in Indonesia.
Results: The systematic review suggested a model of care that allows for easy access to palliative care to mitigate burdens and fulfil supportive care needs. The audit found that palliative care development in West Java province, Indonesia, was slow and served few people due to the limited resources in the hospital. In the survey, the participants reported high need supportive care needs in all domains except for sexuality. The top highly need was discussing treatment with staff. All participants experienced a high level of needs and burdens regarding their illness and struggled to balance their living costs and their budget for cancer treatment, which increased the burden on the family. The interviews found that all participants had high expectations of a nurse-led intervention, which they determined would provide easier access to palliative care to help them meet their needs. Overall, the findings demonstrated a need for a nurse-led intervention that focuses on the following issues: 1) greater access to the 'superhero nurse’, 2) extending out the service to the community, 3) providing a low-cost intervention, 4) greater access to pain management, 5) more systematic assessment using patient reports, 6) more training for the family so that they can be more involved in patient care, that is, shared care with the nurse.
Conclusions and implications: Overall, palliative care in West Java team is developing slowly, and most participants reported a high level of need for supportive care. The overarching theme was the barriers to and challenges of providing a nurse-led intervention in a resource-poor setting. The suggested palliative (cancer) care service model developed from this thesis supports the physical, psychological, spiritual and financial components. The hospital- and home-care-based model uses qualified healthcare staff and volunteers. The findings will be valuable for enhancing the status of supportive and palliative care provided in West Java Province, Indonesia. Flexible and comprehensive nurse-led interventions should be developed to support family caregivers to fulfil their roles and sustain their quality of life. Reinforcing the role of nurses as part of the local multidisciplinary palliative care team is valuable because nurses are available 24 hours a day for patients. These results significantly contribute to the emerging literature on palliative care initiatives in resource-challenged countries
The inspectorate, inspection, and Religious and Moral Education in Scottish non-denominational secondary schools, 1962-2020
Get PDFThe history of Religious and Moral Education (RME) as a subject within the Scottish secondary curriculum has been well-researched over the last six decades and more. Scholars have identified a range of factors and influences on its development. Scattered across this work is a recognition that Her (now His) Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) and individual inspectors have been influential in the development of RME. Much of this work recognises that a legal bar on the inspection of ‘instruction in religion’, enshrined in the 1872 Education (Scotland) Act and not lifted until 1981, was an influential limitation on the subject’s development.
This study has set out to provide the first comprehensive analysis of the interplay between the activities of HMIE and the development of RME in Scottish non-denominational secondary schools from the 1960s until 2020. The study has sought to address two research questions connected to this overall aim. First, it aims to assess the extent to which and in what ways the work of HMIE has been a factor in the development of RME in Scottish secondary education between 1962 and 2020. Second, it examines what inspectorate documentation can tell us about the development of RME in Scottish secondary schools during this period.
This study is located within the discipline of history of education. It is a curriculum and educational governance history grounded in the objectivist interpretation of primary and secondary sources. The study is based on two broad groups of primary sources: official archival material and printed official sources. The former includes memos and correspondence to and between the Scottish Education Department and inspectorate officials. The latter includes the inspectorate’s five national reports on RME published between 1986 and 2014 and school inspection documentation of fifty-four schools dating between 2016 and 2020.
This study’s central thesis is that, overall, HMIE and its associated activities, including inspection, have been significant and important factors in the development of RME in Scottish secondary education since 1962. Grounded in historical and documentary research, this study qualifies this argument by demonstrating that inspectorate involvement was evident and substantial before the legal bar on inspection was lifted in 1981 and that in this period, inspectorate involvement was integral to the subject’s development and integration into national curricula reforms. This study also challenges existing scholarship around why the legal bar was removed. It demonstrates that improving the quality of RME provision was a central focus rather than examinations in the subject. Finally, the study also shows that after securing RME a position in the 5-14 and Curriculum for Excellence curricular schema, the inspectorate and school inspection have not been effective in continuing to secure positive developments for RME in relation to the extent and quality of provision in schools
Improving multi-phase performance of a Coriolis Flowmeter
No full textIn this dissertation, a new concept is introduced to improve the multi-phase flow metering performance of an existing Coriolis Mass Flowmeter (CMF) by sensor fusion with an additional differential pressure sensor. Core element of the concept is an empirical functional group of so-called acceleration factors that characterize the correlation of pressure drop over other flow parameters, mainly liquid mass flow rate and amount of entrained gas.
In order to establish these correlations, experimental and numerical data have been produced, analysed and processed. This was done within the laboratory of the predevelopment department of Endress + Hauser Flow in Freising, Germany. The measurements contain a large matrix of flow parameters, vertical as well as horizontal orientations and a step-by-step increment of geometrical complexity. First, the multi-phase pressure drop over single straight tubes was investigated and compared to the current state-of-the-art. Next, an interim stage between the simple geometry of a single straight tube and a CMF was taken by producing and modelling a straight double tube with a true to scale flow splitter that divides the flow into two parallel tubes and merges them back together further downstream, an element highly similar to the inside of a CMF, but without its characteristic bent shape. Lastly, the experimental approach covered the true CMF geometry and was carried out with water-air and glycerine-water-air mixtures as well as complemented by auxiliary investigations regarding the recirculation zone.
The findings of this research make it possible to deploy an iterative algorithm to quantify the liquid mass flow rate of a multi-phase flow for entrained gas contents of up to 30% in volume for Reynolds numbers in the range of 300 to 300,000. Further extension of the validation to a larger parameter range is not ruled out, but was not possible to investigate due to the limits of the laboratory. A meaningful statement about the accuracy of the overall algorithm should only be given after a field test, however the prediction of the acceleration factor functional group appears to be in the range of ±10 % accuracy with most data points with higher Reynolds numbers appearing in the ±5 % accuracy range.
Furthermore, the results of this work can be used for further studies of CMF multi-phase behaviour
Measurement of the top-quark mass with the ATLAS detector using tt¯events with a boosted top quark
Get PDFAs the heaviest fundamental particle observed to date, the top quark plays a crucial role in particle physics. Precise determination of its mass is essential for testing the internal consistency of the Standard Model and probing potential new physics. This thesis presents a
measurement of the top-quark mass using the full Run 2 dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1, collected during proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018. The analysis focuses on top-antitop-quark pair decays that produce a highly energetic top quark, reconstructed using a single large-radius jet. The average invariant mass of this jet is used to extract the top-quark mass using a profile likelihood fit, incorporating two additional observables to constrain and reduce systematic uncertainties. This approach yields the most precise top-quark mass measurement by ATLAS in a single channel to date: 172.95 ± 0.53 GeV. In addition, this thesis presents the development and integration of the Fast Track Finder algorithm into the ATLAS trigger system. This represents the first successful implementation of a CPU-based charged-particle track reconstruction chain within the ATLAS trigger that is intended for use during the operation of the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider, which is scheduled to commence in 2030
Intelligent dynamic pricing and integrated demand response for multi-energy systems using Deep Reinforcement Learning
Get PDFThe increasing penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) and distributed energy systems (DES) presents significant challenges for the power industry, particularly in ensuring grid stability and optimising energy market operations. This thesis investigates the integration of Dynamic Pricing Integrated Demand Response (IDR) into multi-energy systems using Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) algorithms to improve efficiency, grid stability, and stakeholder benefits in decentralised energy markets. The first study introduces a dynamic pricing mechanism for electricity and gas systems utilising the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm. This mechanism optimises the supply-demand balance, enhances Distribution System Operators (DSOs) profitability, and reduces end-user costs. The second study expands this framework to manage multiple energy carriers— electricity, gas, and heat—through energy hubs (EHs). The DDPG-based IDR strategy promotes cost efficiency and operational flexibility while handling diverse energy demands sustainably. The third study integrates dynamic pricing IDR within a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) energy trading framework for microgrids, employing the Double Actors Regularized Critics (DARC) algorithm. This approach improves renewable energy utilisation, minimises energy deficits, and boosts profitability, outperforming traditional pricing models. The research includes case studies demonstrating the benefits of dynamic pricing and IDR, such as reduced peak loads, increased renewable integration, and enhanced consumer engagement. In conclusion, the thesis lays a foundation for intelligent energy management solutions and suggests future research avenues, including the potential of blockchain technology for P2P trading and advanced consumer behaviour modelling
The immunology of the gut-joint axis
Get PDFAxial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a form of arthritis that results in inflammation in the spine and sacroiliac joints. A large portion of people with axSpA have microscopic intestinal inflammation and the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is markedly higher in this group of people compared to the general population. IBD is an umbrella term for Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis which causes intestinal inflammation as a result of aberrant inflammation towards bacteria within the intestine. Likewise, a substantial proportion of people with IBD have articular inflammation.
Although intestinal inflammation in people with axSpA and articular inflammation in people with IBD may be caused by non-specific systemic inflammation, there is evidence to suggest that these diseases have shared immune mechanisms that may drive this inflammation. However, there is a limited number of studies in humans directly comparing the immunology of axSpA and IBD. Understanding whether intestinal inflammation is an integral feature of axSpA or a consequence of systemic inflammation may help inform treatment strategies within the disease. For example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a first line intervention for axSpA, however, NSAIDs cause gastrointestinal side effects. In the case that articular inflammation is driven by intestinal changes in this disease, prevention of disease progression and long-term remission may be hindered by the current therapies used to treat axSpA.
We therefore aimed to compare changes in the frequencies of various immune cells – including monocytes, DCs, NK cells, NKT-like cells, B cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells – in both people with axSpA and people with CD to identify common changes to circulating immune cells within these two diseases. In addition, we aimed to investigate the expression of activation markers on each of these cell subsets to understand which cells may contribute to inflammation within each disease. To achieve this, we deployed an unbiased, R-based
workflow to analyze flow cytometry data. We also quantified the systemic concentrations of various cytokines, including proinflammatory cytokines associated with innate immunity and cytokines associated with type 1, type 2, and type 3 immune responses. Finally, we aimed to determine whether monocytes from people with axSpA exhibit an activated and hyperinflammatory phenotype compared to monocytes from controls by determining phenotypic and functional responses of these cells to LPS stimulation.
We found shared changes in the frequencies of nonclassical monocyte, natural killer cell, CD4+ T cell, and CD8+ T cell clusters, alongside shared phenotypic changes on natural killer cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells in both axSpA and CD. In addition, we found shared systemic increases of IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, IL-27, and TNFα, with a shared systemic decrease of IL-4 in both axSpA and CD. While we found decreased CD86+ monocytes in people with axSpA and decreased basal production of IL-10, we did not find any evidence of
increased activation or a hyperinflammatory phenotype within monocytes in people with axSpA. This work provides the basis for future research to determine how functional changes in monocytes, natural killer cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+T cells may contribute to inflammation in the gut-joint axis
Bayesian hierarchical methods for non-standard compositional data
Get PDFCompositional data take the form of parts of some whole, consisting of sets of non-negative components. Compositional data can appear as proportions, percentages, general non negative values or counts. The inherent characteristics of compositional data, i.e. non negativity and the constraint to some total, pose unique challenges for traditional statistical techniques. Compositional data arise across many real-world applications such as health, environmental, forensic, financial and sports science. Further challenges occur when compositional data also include other advanced data challenges such as multilevel hierarchical structure, non-smooth time series or a spatial structure.
The main technique in the literature to overcome the complexities of compositional data is to transform the components from the simplex (the sample space of compositional data) into Euclidean space (the standard statistical space) using a log-ratio transformation. Once transformed, standard statistical models can be applied. However, while this transformation is powerful, it is not always suitable in practice. There are many features commonly found within compositional data that prohibit log-ratio transformations. For example, when compositional data contain zeros, the log-ratios become undefined. Similarly, when the components contain missing values, some or all of the log-ratio transformations may not produce sensible results. Lastly, when compositional data consist of counts, applying a log ratio transformation may discard information on how the total count may impact the variance and the possible values the counts can take. Thus, there is a need for frameworks that can handle compositional data containing these features, as well as addressing advanced data challenges.
This thesis presents novel Bayesian hierarchical frameworks designed to overcome the limitations of log-ratio transformations in these instances. We apply and evaluate our proposed frameworks to three applications of compositional data containing both a feature which prevents log-ratio transformations and an advanced data challenge. These include: compositional data containing many zeros and a multilevel hierarchical structure, applied to forensic elemental glass data; non-smooth time series containing a count structure and zero values, applied to COVID-19 variant counts; and compositional data with a spatial pattern containing zeros, applied to tree species proportions across a spatial grid. We assess the performance of our frameworks through both in-sample and out-of-sample predictive experiments, comparing with commonly used models. The results from the predictive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our approaches, highlighting their contribution to compositional data analysis and offering a robust alternative for handling real-world compositional data
Timing and distribution of post-subduction magmatism in the Southern Uplands of Scotland: new insights from U-Pb zircon data of Caledonian igneous bodies in the Southern Uplands Terrane
Get PDFThe Southern Uplands of Scotland and its equivalent Down-Longford Terrane in Northern Ireland were part of a Palaeozoic accretionary complex on the Laurentian margin that actively accreted during the Ordovician and Silurian (~455 – 420 Ma). The Terranes were widely cross-cut by Devonian-aged ‘Caledonian’ intrusions related to subduction of the Iapetus oceanic slab and associated collision of periGondwanan Terranes with Laurentia (~428 – 423 Ma). However, geochronological data is lacking for several magmatic bodies in the Southern Uplands Terrane. Consequently, the timing of specific geodynamic and tectonic events and the overall architecture of the resultant magmatic systems is uncertain. In this study, I conducted U-Pb zircon dating and partial zircon trace element analysis using laser ablation mass spectrometry for several under-studied intrusions, namely the Cairnsmore of Carsphairn pluton, the Black Stockarton Moor subvolcanic complex, the Bengairn and Cheviot plutons. I apply a cautious texturally and in part chemically constrained approach to determine an appropriate time of emplacement for these magmatic bodies and the total duration of magmatism, based on the occurrence of zircon cores interpreted as reflecting antecrystic zircon growth. Zircon is a robust mineral that is inherited from basement rock and/or newly crystallises from magmas at different depths throughout the crust (Roberts and Spencer, 2015), thus zircon records total durations of magmatism from deeper levels to emplacement. Zircon data can be integrated regionally to identify magmatic patterns (i.e., time of onset of magmatism vs emplacement) that in turn can be linked to geodynamic processes that are suspected within a specific region (Oliver et al. 2008; Yilmaz Şahin et al. 2014).
Results presented in this study support and advance previous work by confirming textural and geochronological evidence for long-lived pre-emplacement evolution of magmas, probably in a lower crustal hot zone setting. The earliest onset of zircon crystallisation at ~424 Ma reflects the start of Iapetus slab rollback following the onset of continental collision between Laurentia and peri-Gondwanan Terranes. A potential southwards younging in the onset of magmatism from northern bodies (e.g., Carsphairn) to southern bodies (e.g., Cheviot) is supportive of rollback. There is no obvious spatial pattern in emplacement, rather individual emplacement events appear to be randomly distributed, probably due to local tectonic controls and associated pathways for melt migration. Overall, little emplacement occurred prior to ~415 Ma, but an upsurge in emplacement from hereon is coeval with a proposed switch from transpression to transtension; such an event might be concurrent with slab breakoff. Findings of this study imply that the Midland Valley and Grampian Highlands Terranes would benefit from further zircon studies of ‘Caledonian’ intrusions to define total durations of zircon growth and aim for high precision emplacement ages. This in turn would enable comparison between the geodynamic reconstruction presented here and geodynamic models for the Grampian Highlands and Midland Valley, to better understand the geodynamics over a broader sector of the Caledonian Orogen
Profiling and prediction of flare in rheumatoid arthritis using clinical, epigenomic, and transcriptomic data
No full textAbstract not currently available
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