De Montfort University e-theses

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Open Access
1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Linked Metabolomics Investigations of Broiler Poultry and Human Saliva
(De Montfort University, 2019-08) Parmar, Devki
1H NMR-linked metabolomics was employed to investigate blood plasma and breast meat muscle from broiler poultry for quality assessment. The purpose of this research is to further explore the metabolomics profile of poultry breast meat muscle and plasma and comprehensively identify their metabolic components. NMR spectroscopy was also used to further investigate as to whether different ultimate pH levels of water would influence the metabolic profile. A total of 10 meat muscle samples were processed and the resulting 1H NMR spectra were elucidated, identifying a total of 18 metabolites. A total of 49 plasma samples were processed for 1H NMR analysis, where 35 metabolites were identified and confirmed. These metabolites were cross-referenced with metabolic quality indicators from previous studies and it was found that the group of samples treated by WET Engineering showed higher levels of these metabolites and therefore deemed higher quality. The application of multivariate statistical analysis also showed a significant difference between treatment groups. Therefore, highlighting that changes in the pH of water given to broiler poultry can indeed have an influence on their metabolic profile. 1H NMR-linked metabolomics was also employed in order to quantify ionic magnesium and calcium salivary concentrations via NMR characterisation of their chelation complexes with EDTA. At total of 82 samples were processed for 1H NMR analysis and metabolic compounds were identified. Concentrations of ionic levels were measured for each sample and quantified via calibration curve, giving average ionic concentrations of 212 μMol/L for magnesium and 932 μMol/L for calcium. These results were comparable to those levels found in previous studies, using alternative methodologies such as AAS. The repeatability and reliability of the technique was also investigated by preparing and measuring each sample in triplicate and then re-measuring these triplicate samples after a period of 48 hours. It was found that there was a very low standard deviation of concentrations between triplicate measurements. Giving deviations on average of 22μMol/L for magnesium and 36μMol/L for calcium. However, after a period of 48 hours, when samples were re-measured, they showed on average a standard deviation that was twice as high for magnesium and four times higher for calcium. The overall objective of this thesis was to demonstrate the range of research that can be done, when using 1H NMR-linked metabolomics for the analysis of biological fluids. In this case, the research areas of agriculture and oral health were chosen.
Open Access
3D numerical modelling and manipulation of a shoe last.
(De Montfort University, 1998) Gordeyeva, Olga V.
As global competition continues to increase causing market windows to shrink and product life cycles shorten, manufacturers today can no longer function without advanced design tools. These market pressures dictate that designers must embrace new, faster and better design technologies than ever before if they are to remain competitive. This is especially true in the shoe industry with the employment of up-to-date methods of design and manufacture. The development of modem CAD/CAM systems, the availability of powerful hardware at reasonable cost and vast improvements in colour graphics capabilities have made the automation of the footwear design process feasible at low cost. All of this economically justifies the creation of a system for direct shoe last design without a prototype model last. A specific onscreen methodology of a shoe last design directly from individual anthropometric data has been proposed and evaluated. A numerical methodology for onscreen visualisation with application of a new scheme of segmentation of the last surface and further manipulation of the last elements in order to create new last styles have been developed. In order to achieve this, the principles of shaping the last, the laws governing its deformation when changing the heel height and the list of possible modifications to its shape have been defined. Five global manipulation procedures have been implemented, in particular those that relate to changing the heel height. Special software has been written to visualise the results. Experimentation has proved the validity of the approach. Lasts of similar style but with different heel heights were measured and numerically modelled to compare with computer generated and modified last models. The accuracy proved to be within the limits of practical and traditional constraints.
Open Access
3D Printing on Textile Fabrics Based on Material Extrusion
(De Montfort University, 2020-10) Alsabhi, Randa
3D print technology has been developed rapidly since 1984. Now there are many types of 3D printing equipment and different techniques available to create a 3D printed object using additive layer by layer processes. 3 popular printing technologies are SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) and SLA (Stereolithography). Among them, FDM printing technology involves a process where the thermoplastic material is melted and extruded through printing nozzle in a pattern to create the designed object layer by layer. Small desktop FDM equipment becomes popular for domestic uses to create objects due to its low price and easy access to different printing materials. Currently 3D print techniques are extensively used for producing the prototype of products and their designs in manufacturing industry. 3D print technology has also been used to produce textile weaving or knitting structure of materials but they are not comfortable to wear daily. There is limited research and publications for application of 3D printing on textiles or integration of 3D printing into textile fabrics. The current research aims to develop 3D printing technology on textile materials to create textile surface design with specific functionality and to exploit the potential commercial markets for 3D printed textile materials through surveys. The technology of 3D printing to be developed on textile fabrics in the current research was mainly based on FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) using the Ultimaker 3D printer. Printing parameters for textile printing play an important role especially for the adhesion between printed patterns and the surface of the fabrics. The current research resulted in the development of a method for assessing the attachment strength in the interface between printed object and surface of textile fabrics and the understanding of the processes to achieve strong attachment of 3D printed patterns on the fabrics. A wide range of thermoplastic filaments are available for FDM based 3D printing for product design. Characterising the printed materials from 3D printing filaments can identify the properties of each filament in term of the hardness and flexibility of the filaments for their applications. In the current work, different filaments (PLA, Nylon,ABS, BendLay, TPU-A, TPU-B and PLA Conductive) were assessed for their application on textile fabrics. Durable to wash and re-usability of garments are the desired properties for sustainable textile material. 3D printed garments need to meet the requirement of durability to wash. In the current work, the quality and the performance of 3D printing on textile fabrics were investigated in term of dimensional stability and sufficient attachment of the printed patterns on the fabrics via visual and haptic inspection through 10 washing cycles. The current work also demonstrated the ability to create different design patters in 3D on the fabrics. FDM technology allow the development of novel patterns and constructed patters to be printed on textile fabrics that would be impossible to create with conventional methods. High quality of 3D patterns with precise and detail design can be printed on textile fabrics in strong attachment durable to wash. The current research from the questionnaire survey also shows could the potential for the commercial markets towards 3D surface patterning on textile fabrics created by 3D printing in fashion industry.
Open Access
3D-based Advanced Machine Service Support
(De Montfort University, 2006-01) Ho, Yeo San
In the face of today's unpredictable and fluctuating global market, there have been trends in industry towards wider adoption of more advanced and flexible new generation manufacturing systems. These have brought about new challenges to manufacturing equipment builders/suppliers in respect of satisfying ever-increasing customers' requirements for such advanced manufacturing systems. To stay competitive, in addition to supplying high quality equipment, machine builders/suppliers must also be capable of providing their customers with cost-effective, efficient and comprehensive service support, throughout the equipment's lifecycle. This research study has been motivated by the relatively unexplored potential of integrating 3D virtual technology with various machine service support tools/techniques to address the aforementioned challenges. The hypothesis formulated for this study is that a 3D-based virtual environment can be used as an integration platform to improve service support for new generation manufacturing systems. In order to ensure the rigour of the study, it has been initiated with a two-stage (iterative) literature review, consisting of: a preliminary review for the identification of practical problems/main issues related to the area of machine service support and in-depth reviews for the identification of research problems/questions and potential solutions. These were then followed by iterations of intensive research activities, consisting of: requirements identification, concept development, prototype implementation, testing and exploration, reflection and feedback. The process has been repeated and revised continuously until satisfactory results, required for answering the identified research problems/questions, were obtained. The main focus of this study is exploring how a 3D-based virtual environment can be used as an integration platform for supporting a more cost-effective and comprehensive strategy for improving service support for new generation manufacturing systems. One of the main outcomes of this study is the proposal of a conceptual framework for a novel 3D-based advanced machine service support strategy and a reference architecture for a corresponding service support system, for allowing machine builders/suppliers to: (1) provide more cost-effective remote machine maintenance support, and (2) provide more efficient and comprehensive extended service support during the equipment's life cycle. The proposed service support strategy advocates the tight integration of conventional (consisting of mainly machine monitoring, diagnostics, prognostics and maintenance action decision support) and extended (consisting of mainly machine re-configuration, upgrade and expansion support) service support functions. The proposed service support system is based on the integration of a 3D-based virtual environment with the equipment control system, a re-configurable automated service support system, coupled with a maintenance-support-tool/strategy support environment and an equipment re-configuration/upgrade/expansion support environment, in a network/lntenet framework. The basic concepts, potential benefits and limitations of the proposed strategy/ system have been explored via a prototype based on a laboratory-scale test bed. The prototype consists of a set of integrated modular network-ready software tools consisting of: (1) an integrated 20/30 visualisation and analysis module, (2) support tools library modules, (3) communication modules and (4) a set of modular and re-configurable automated data logging, maintenance and re-configuration support modules. A number of test cases based on various machine service support scenarios, have been conducted using the prototype. The experimentation has shown the potential and feasibility (technical implementation aspects) of the proposed 3D-based approach. This research study has made an original contribution to knowledge in the field of machine service support. It has contributed a novel approach of using a 3D-based virtual environment as an integration platform for improving the capability of machine builders/suppliers in providing more cost-effective and comprehensive machine service support for complex new generation manufacturing systems. Several important findings have resulted from this work in particular with respect to how various 20/30 visualisation environments are integrated with machine service support tools/techniques for improving service support for complex manufacturing systems. A number of aspects have also been identified for future work.
Open Access
A critical evaluation of the impact of Government neoliberal policies on leadership and experiences in English primary schools.
(De Montfort University, 2023-11) Sibley-White, Angela
The role and function of primary education are increasingly contested, with recent education policy in England reflecting a neoliberal ideology focusing on market-orientated economics. This orientation places emphasis on accountability, performativity and, in particular, the responsibilisation of individuals and families. Moreover, education is considered by the Government a means to enabling social mobility, with many reforms aimed at closing the educational attainment gap, which idealises education as a means for ‘social justice’. However, whilst education policy aims to raise attainment, the UK Government’s austerity measures impact the poorest in society particularly affecting disadvantaged families, which seemly creates a paradox within education. This research considered aspects of education policy within neoliberalism, how they are interpreted and enacted by school leaders and experienced by primary school communities. It followed an interpretivist paradigm, gathering data via in-depth and semi-structured interviews across four primary schools. The data analysis followed a thematic approach, resulting in a detailed codebook that formed the basis for the results and discussion chapters. These themes include the onus of leadership; the complexities and challenges in the school-parent relationship; context of learning; and the responsibilisation of the school for the welfare of children and families. The research found that headteachers were integral to developing school ethos, culture, and values, which were evident in the management of the school. This resulted in various approaches to mitigating social injustices through teaching and learning opportunities and supporting the wider family. It was evident in schools in deprived areas that the headteacher’s approach was instrumental in removing barriers to parental involvement despite the Government’s rhetoric demonising disadvantaged parents. The research exposes an increased emotional burden for school staff, especially for the headteacher, in child welfare and safeguarding areas. The increased thresholds for social welfare intervention further responsibilised the school and staff members for wider child welfare beyond teaching and learning.
Open Access
A framework for complying with conflicting safety and security standards within critical infrastructure organisations
(De Montfort University, 2023-06) Kemp, Robert
Safety and security risks to critical infrastructure organisations are well known, and incidents in both fields have taken place. To help critical infrastructure organisations manage these areas, safety and security standards have been created. The standards can vary from general standards to industry-specific standards. Complying with both safety and security standards within critical infrastructure organisations can be difficult due to the conflicting requirements in the standards between safety objectives and security objectives and controls for information technology cannot always be applied to operational technology. The main aim of the thesis was to identify and remediate conflicts and issues between information technology, operational technology, safety, and security, while also creating processes that can combine safety and security compliance to standards to reduce duplication of work and allow one process to manage both areas. The main output of the thesis is the creation of the Safety and Security Standards Framework for Critical Infrastructure (SSS Framework for CI) that can be used by critical infrastructure organisations to produce a Safety and Security Management System (SSMS). To achieve this a case study was created and multiple safety and security standards were analysed to see what processes and controls they required. Questionnaires, workshops and experiments with safety and security professionals were conducted to inform and validate the framework. The SSS Framework for CI has 14 processes, 22 control areas and over 1000 conflicts, issues and resolutions for those conflicts and issues. Other findings were that conflict resolution and risk management are critical to successfully creating a SSMS and both need to be in place and designed to consider both safety and security objectives. The thesis has demonstrated that safety and security can be managed together, and it can bring benefits to critical infrastructure organisations both in efficiency of processes and resources and also in terms of managing the risk of safety and security incidents. It is not simple to manage both areas and the respective teams will need to work collectively and changes to the implementation and maintenance of controls will be needed to ensure compliance can be achieved to multiple standards and overall risk is managed to an acceptable level.
Open Access
A History of Sport on Commercial Television, 1955-1992
(De Montfort University, 2023-06) Edwarda, Gareth
This thesis explores the relationship between sport and the United Kingdom's first two commercial television channels, Independent Television (ITV) and Channel Four. It is the first comprehensive study of the history of British television sport to focus on commercial broadcasters and is based on extensive research carried out in the archive of ITV's regulatory bodies and the Channel Four Written Archive. The period it covers, from 1955 to 1992, begins with the launch of ITV and ends as BSkyB’s subscription-based Sky Sports begins airing live matches from the newly formed Premier League. It is argued that ITV's capacity to broadcast sport was determined by a combination of internal tensions and external fetters. The contradictions within ITV - a commercial broadcaster with a public service remit; a regional structure with a tendency towards centralisation - conditioned its sports output. It was also subject to state intervention, the preferences of sports governing bodies, and, crucially, its ongoing rivalry with the BBC. Further, this thesis argues that Channel Four, which only began broadcasting in 1982, constructed an identity, through both necessity and design, as a broadcaster of niche sports in an increasingly global media sports complex. Central to this thesis is the notion that television sport operates as a distinct cultural form, one with its own formats, conventions, and styles, Thus, consideration is given to the ways in which ITV and Channel Four have contributed to evolution of television sport, and the degree to which their approaches were conditioned by their commercial nature. The role of ITV and Channel Four in the wider developments of the sponsorship and the mediatization of sport is also investigated. This thesis is divided into five main chapters, with those focusing on ITV structured by periodisation. Key themes are developed within each chapter, and four case studies on specific programmes are used to illustrate the history of sport on commercial television.
Open Access
A Pioneering Legacy: Early Women Photographers of Great Britain and Ireland, 1839 -1861
(De Montfort University, 2024-05) Teanby, Mary Veronica Rose
The early history of photography in Great Britain and Ireland frequently presents as a predominantly male activity, amateur or professional, with sporadic reference to a limited number of women practitioners. This obscures a large cohort of women who participated in photography from its inception, others assisting or facilitating photography without appropriate acknowledgment. This thesis documents the activities of early women photographers in Great Britain and Ireland between 1839 and 1861, exploring their contributions to photography and wider impact within mid nineteenth-century society. New research confirms key women actors situated within the early development of amateur and professional photography, but through interrogation of photographic histories and prior scholarship in combination with alternative resources including contemporary newspapers, trade directories, census returns and exhibition catalogues, many more geographically defined women photographers have been identified. Eliminating the requirement for image primacy or attribution has enabled a concentration on biographical content, shifting focus from the photograph to the photographer. A significant area of research centres upon the social and legal context framing photographic intersection with societal challenges specific to women. Photography presented new opportunities to contest gender inequality through equal participation in photographic societies, image exhibition in parity with men, and advertising commercial photographic studios in equal but unregulated competition for new clientele. Women’s presence in the new photographic milieu provided new employment for unmarried women, defined as society’s unproductive ‘surplus’, financially supported by the Society for the Promotion of Employment of Women. Similarly, widows avoided penury by operation of a photographic studio following bereavement. Photographic technology was accessible to women across the social spectrum, disrupting an ethos of both class and gender segregation. The thesis explores women’s specific impact on traditional forms of illustration, photographic tuition, and active participation in a community rejecting ‘separate spheres’ ideology by encouraging interchange of ideas within informal social or scientific networks. The thesis concludes that women’s adoption of photography demonstrated their important non-domestic contributions to society, contesting traditional discriminatory mores and advancing photography at the outset of a creative revolution. I argue that British early women photographers are therefore of critical importance to a revisionist account of nineteenth-century visual culture and integral to a more inclusive representation of photographic history.
Open Access
A socio-technical analysis of the Patient Medication Record (PMR) system in English Community Pharmacy
(De Montfort University, 2023-09) Ansong, Theo
The English National Health Service (NHS) has expressed the desire for safe and effective healthcare through pharmacy professional role extension. The ambition is to engage the transformative power of digital technology to deliver clinical services from community pharmacy through their integration into mainstream national healthcare pathways. This PhD thesis explores the role of the computerised Patient Medication Record (PMR) system in supporting the transformation of current community pharmacy practice. Drawing on socio-technical theoretical principles, the study takes an ethnographic approach to investigate the drivers that impact how the PMR system is procured and utilised within community pharmacy organisations. It further examines how these factors impact the quality outcomes of healthcare delivery. Data was collected from four purposefully selected English community pharmacy sites using field observations inclusive of Think Aloud studies and document analysis. This was followed by semi-structured interviews of eighteen key informants consisting of pharmacists, dispensers, PMR system managers, and representatives of system suppliers or vendors. A conceptual framework based on socio-technical theoretical principles was used to identify factors that influenced how PMR systems were developed, implemented, and used within community pharmacy, and the related impact on clinical services that are delivered to patients. The study found that the PMR system played an integral (and even critical) role in clinical work processes, while at the same time facilitating and constraining utilisation by pharmacy staff in their efforts to meet their professional obligations. The appropriateness of PMR system functionalities and configurations, including organisational drivers, conditions its use in ways that have profound effect on patient and pharmacy staff experiences of care. This includes the proliferation of multiple record systems and adoption of workarounds in order to meet documentation needs when providing patient care. Consequently, there is an increased potential for unintended consequences which leads to greater risk of safety issues and restricted ability to share patient health information across different settings. Despite the disadvantages, the PMR system offers possibilities for supporting the broadening of future community pharmacy clinical services through enhanced risk management and collaborative practice. This can be achieved by increasing the knowledgebase around the PMR system through additional research, by accelerating clinical system development through adoption of sophisticated and innovative technologies, by promoting greater digital literacy among pharmacy staff, and by recognising the wellbeing impact of the PMR system on its users. It is suggested that a concerted effort by pharmacy professionals and their employing organisations, system suppliers, pharmacy professional bodies, and regulatory institutions is required to ensure that future PMR systems possess the necessary features and can be used appropriately. This way, there is better chance of the government realising its objective of delivering more clinical services from community pharmacy premises.
Open Access
A study of mobile shopping experiences through the synthesis of Mobile Service Quality, Customer Engagement and Value Co-Creation
(De Montfort University, 2022-11) Oozeerally, Adam
In recent years, mobile devices have transformed shopping, causing a significant shift in how consumers engage with brands online. With the increasing dominance of mobile-driven online traffic and widespread smartphone ownership in the USA and the UK, marketing teams have directed growing resources towards enhancing mobile commerce (M-commerce). This study investigates the evolving landscape of consumer experiences, value co-creation, engagement, and service quality within M-commerce. It addresses the gaps in existing research by evaluating the significance of dimensions in the mobile context for key constructs: mobile service quality (MSQ), customer engagement (CE), value co-creation (VCC), and customer experience (EX). Additionally, it explores the interrelationships among these constructs and their impact on one another. The study also delves into whether customer experience (EX) serves as a robust predictor of marketing outcome satisfaction, influencing outcomes like stickiness, wordof-mouth intention, and shopping effectiveness. Based on data from UK and US samples, this research confirms relationships between the tested constructs and offers insights into their dimensionality within mobile contexts. Notably, this study is the first known to comprehensively evaluate the dimensionality and intricate interplay of MSQ, CE, VCC, and EX within an integrated multi-dimensional framework. Rigorous testing through a latent structural model with SEM reveals compelling relationships: MSQ positively influences EX, VCC impacts EX favourably, and CE reinforces dimensions of EX. Furthermore, EX emerges as a potent predictor of satisfaction, which, in turn, influences critical marketing outcomes. The study also contributes by providing evidence of dimension saliency within mobile contexts. Privacy and order accuracy are no longer central to MSQ. For CE, two higher-order factors, intrinsic and extrinsic engagement, emerge. Within VCC, two higher-order factors characterizing value creation spheres are confirmed. Lastly, EX's heterogeneous dimensionality includes experience potential and in-app experience as distinct factors. Additionally, this research suggests that VCC may be a more robust predictor of EX than CE. In conclusion, the study provides practical and managerial implications, alongside its limitations and future research directions. Furthermore, this research offers actionable insights for M-commerce managers and app developers. It recommends a verified customer experience journey map to identify opportunities for improvement. Key highlights include the importance of design, usability, gamification, and social sharing in enhancing customer experiences. Encouraging resource sharing in value cocreation can further enhance in-app experiences. Implementing these findings can pave the way for M-commerce excellence and superior customer experiences.
Open Access
A Study Of Urban Regeneration And CPI As A Tool For Sustainable Urban Growth In The City Of Ibadan, Nigeria, West Africa
(De Montfort University, 2022) Odesola, Enoch
In the wake of urban growth in urban centers across the world, there is a need to expose further the social, economic, and environmental sustainability aspect of cities. The fulfillment of sustainable urban growth with the combination of achieving prosperity is the merger this research sought to achieve. Urban regeneration projects are not new to urban centers; however, there is a deficiency in the study of the methods to ensure urban regeneration practices and their planning processes are sustainable. This research aimed to identify and develop strategies for sustainable urban growth in the city of Ibadan that can be used to evaluate other West African cities. City Prosperity Initiative was adopted as a tool in evaluating the city of Ibadan and in proffering strategies for sustainable urban growth. The City Prosperity Initiative (CPI) is a global project that seeks to provide guidance to cities around the world on how to measure their economic, social, and environmental performance. The Initiative was launched in 2012 by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) as a global effort to develop a comprehensive framework for measuring urban progress across multiple dimensions. A comprehensive examination took place to analyse what led to the sporadic decay of the city, which took it away from being one of the frontline cities in West Africa and Africa in general. The Master-Plan of Ibadan was evaluated, and City Prosperity Indicators (CPI) were used to pinpoint what planning policies to focus on from the available data in the Master-Plan. The researcher carried out unstructured interviews with government professionals in Ibadan, Nigeria. Focus group discussions were carried out in the city of Ibadan with local stakeholders to consolidate the findings and propose further improvements. Findings show a lack of coordination between the urban regeneration projects and practices being employed in the Master-Planning of the city. City dwellers established that Ibadan city lacked community cohesion, had poor civic identity, varying degree of security threats, poor mobility and connectivity resulting in the poor quality of life of the populace. Urban growth has been inadequately managed, and it needs a planning process that can curtail, manage, and ultimately create satisfaction for its citizenry. The research contributes to how Ibadan could work as a model for mid-size west African cities, whose institutional system and governance is influenced by their post-colonialist condition. The study also contributes to the literature on the relationship between the urban regeneration process and the need for city planning.
Open Access
A theory of fair treatment of health and social care students during fitness to practise proceedings: a constructivist grounded theory.
(De Montfort University, 2023-09) Chesters, Anna Elizabeth
Aim: The aim of the study was to explore how higher education institutions (HEIs) in England operated their fitness to practise processes. Methodology: A qualitative approach within the constructivist paradigm underpinned the research that followed Charmaz grounded theory methodology. Methods: In phase one, an internet search of HEIs in England was undertaken to source the student fitness to practise procedures and process documents. Fifty-four HEIs were identified of which fourteen were selected for analysis. Coding was undertaken using the line-by-line approach advocated by Charmaz. Themes arising from the document analysis informed phase two; the semi-structured interviews. Staff within the fourteen universities whose documents were reviewed, were approached to take part in the second phase of the research. Fourteen individuals from four universities from the North, South and West of England agreed to participate in the semi-structured interviews. One participant withdrew prior to their interview. Thirteen participants were interviewed for the study. The staff were all academics and were from a variety of professional health and social care backgrounds. All participants had prior involvement with various aspects of the student fitness to practise processes. The interviews were digitally recorded and were transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were uploaded into NVivo and analysis of the transcripts was performed using line by line coding. An iterative approach towards the analysis was adopted until saturation was achieved. The study for this thesis was conducted at HEIs offering programmes validated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Health and Care Professions Council and Social Work England. Findings: Fairness emerged as a core category and was adopted as the lens through which the student fitness to practise process was considered. A substantive process theory of “fairness and student fitness to practise processes” was created. Adding to the literature on fairness and fair procedures, the conceptual metaphor of the fairness yardstick was devised, which harmonised three components: policy, student voice and analysis. Three procedural stages of the fitness to practise process were identified: investigating, deliberating and resolving. The fairness yardstick was embedded throughout the process providing an ethical sense of positioning. Conclusion: A variety of approaches towards student fitness to practise processes were found to exist within HEIs in England. Fair treatment of students who were subject to fitness to practise processes was the underlying ethos of staff involved, however inconsistencies and contradictions were apparent. Fairness, in relation to student fitness to practise processes, has not been the focus of research previously. The development of a substantive, constructivist process theory of fairness and student fitness to practise processes, offers a unique and new addition to the minimal literature in this field.
Open Access
Absorbing the Worlds of Others: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s Adapted Screenplays
(De Montfort University, 2020-06) Fryer, Laura
Despite being a prolific and well-decorated adapter and screenwriter, the screenplays of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala are largely overlooked in adaptation studies. This is likely, in part, because her life and career are characterised by the paradox of being an outsider on the inside: whether that be as a European writing in and about India, as a novelist in film or as a woman in industry. The aims of this thesis are threefold: to explore the reasons behind her neglect in criticism, to uncover her contributions to the film adaptations she worked on and to draw together the fields of screenwriting and adaptation studies. Surveying both existing academic studies in film history, screenwriting and adaptation in Chapter 1 -- as well as publicity materials in Chapter 2 -- reveals that screenwriting in general is on the periphery of considerations of film authorship. In Chapter 2, I employ Sandra Gilbert’s and Susan Gubar’s notions of ‘the madwoman in the attic’ and ‘the angel in the house’ to portrayals of screenwriters, arguing that Jhabvala purposely cultivates an impression of herself as the latter -- a submissive screenwriter, of no threat to patriarchal or directorial power -- to protect herself from any negative attention as the former. However, the archival materials examined in Chapter 3 which include screenplay drafts, reveal her to have made significant contributions to problem-solving, characterisation and tone. I argue that she develops themes pertinent to her and in Chapter 4 I posit outsider characters in particular as sites of her authorship. In the final chapter I explore the collaborative nature of the working environment which made these contributions possible. I adapt Kamilla Elliott’s incarnational concept of adaptation to reincarnation in order to argue that adaptation and screenwriting are both continual, collaborative processes. Segments of Chapters 2 and 5 have been included in published articles and feature in the appendices: ‘A room with many views: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s and Andrew Davies’ adapted screenplays for A Room with a View (1985, 2007)’; and ‘Screenwriting, adaptation and reincarnation: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s self-adapted screenplays’.
Open Access
Abstraction : a notion for reverse engineering.
(De Montfort University, 1999) Liu, Xiaodong
Open Access
Academic motivation, aspirations, choice and expectations of sixth-form students and their parents in state and private schools
(De Montfort University, 2004) Lewis, Sarah
Open Access
Academics’ Adoption and Usage of Learning Management Systems in ‎Saudi Arabia’s Universities
(De Montfort University, 2015-04) Alshammari, Mohammed S.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become a common feature in contemporary Higher Education institutions worldwide. LMS literature shows that the level of interest and/or knowledge among academics towards the importance and usefulness of these systems, and the opportunities they can bring to the teaching process are key factors affecting the degree of use of LMS in HE. To date, most of these studies have taken place in the context of developed countries, and there is only limited research in other areas. In recent years, LMS have been adopted widely in Saudi Arabia’s Higher Education sector, however, there are no strong and detailed data regarding the subject in this context, which could impede future developments. On the other hand, academics were chosen as the main focus of this investigation because studies have revealed that they have the most vital role in promoting and enhancing the use of LMS. Therefore, this research investigates academics’ adoption and usage of LMS in Saudi Arabia’s universities; it aims to understand the adoption conditions and identify what factors truly affect the adoption process and to what level are the systems being used and why. The investigation was guided by Grounded Theory research principles. Initially, a review of the literature identified the nature of LMS along with the issues confronting academics when they are trying to use it to its full potential in supporting the delivery of their courses. Afterwards, questionnaires were employed to further explore the phenomenon in its examined context, i.e. Saudi higher education. The generated data and concepts were then used to guide the research process and to develop interview questions. The interviews were carried out at three Saudi universities with a range of stakeholders, which signified the primary data source in this investigation. Analysis revealed that LMS did not emerge as a well-established component of academics’ activities in Saudi universities despite the positive view respondents expressed towards it. Findings also explained why LMS was either considered a secondary method to support face-to-face teaching, or under-utilised in fully online courses. Furthermore, findings revealed the primary factors influencing academics’ level of use of LMS. Moreover, there were issues identified in relation to the academics’ development and training for LMS, which had a significant effect on the academics’ level of use of LMS. Findings were then integrated into a substantive theory and a theoretical model, which represents the research primary outcome. The theoretical outcomes offer abstract explanation of the phenomenon about adopting innovatory systems in Saudi universities, LMS in this instance. In conclusion, suggestions for improving the current provision of LMS in Saudi Universities are made. Overall, this study provided an insight into the environment surrounding the early adoption phases of LMS in Saudi universities, which offers a better understanding of the phenomenon. Subsequently, this will help enhance the adoption process in current contexts and assist in the better future utilisation of these systems in similar situations.
Open Access
Accelerated optimisation methods for low-carbon building design
(De Montfort University, 2014-03) Tresidder, Esmond
This thesis presents an analysis of the performance of optimisation using Kriging surrogate models on low-carbon building design problems. Their performance is compared with established genetic algorithms operating without a surrogate on a range of different types of building-design problems. The advantages and disadvantages of a Kriging approach, and their particular relevance to low-carbon building design optimisation, are tested and discussed. Scenarios in which Kriging methods are most likely to be of use, and scenarios where, conversely, they may be dis- advantageous compared to other methods for reducing the computational cost of optimisation, such as parallel computing, are highlighted. Kriging is shown to be able, in some cases, to find designs of comparable performance in fewer main-model evaluations than a stand-alone genetic algorithm method. However, this improvement is not robust, and in several cases Kriging required many more main-model evaluations to find comparable designs, especially in the case of design problems with discrete variables, which are common in low-carbon building design. Furthermore, limitations regarding the extent to which Kriging optimisa- tions can be accelerated using parallel computing resources mean that, even in the scenarios in which Kriging showed the greatest advantage, a stand-alone genetic algorithm implemented in parallel would be likely to find comparable designs more quickly. In light of this it is recommended that, for most lowcarbon building design problems, a stand-alone genetic algorithm is the most suitable optimisation method. Two novel methods are developed to improve the performance of optimisation algorithms on low-carbon building design problems. The first takes advantage of variables whose impact can be quickly calculated without re-running an expensive dynamic simulation, in order to dramatically increase the number of designs that can be explored within a given computing budget. The second takes advantage of objectives that can be !Keywords To Be Included For Additional Search Power: Optimisation, optimization, Kriging, meta-models, metamodels, low-energy design ! "2 calculated without a dynamic simulation in order to filter out designs that do not meet constraints in those objectives and focus the use of computationally expensive dynamic simulations on feasible designs. Both of these methods show significant improvement over standard methods in terms of the quality of designs found within a given dynamic-simulation budget.
Open Access
Acceleration Techniques for Photo Realistic Computer Generated Integral Images
(De Montfort University, 2004-04) Youssef, Osama Hassan
The research work presented in this thesis has approached the task of accelerating the generation of photo-realistic integral images produced by integral ray tracing. Ray tracing algorithm is a computationally exhaustive algorithm, which spawns one ray or more through each pixel of the pixels forming the image, into the space containing the scene. Ray tracing integral images consumes more processing time than normal images. The unique characteristics of the 3D integral camera model has been analysed and it has been shown that different coherency aspects than normal ray tracing can be investigated in order to accelerate the generation of photo-realistic integral images. The image-space coherence has been analysed describing the relation between rays and projected shadows in the scene rendered. Shadow cache algorithm has been adapted in order to minimise shadow intersection tests in integral ray tracing. Shadow intersection tests make the majority of the intersection tests in ray tracing. Novel pixel-tracing styles are developed uniquely for integral ray tracing to improve the image-space coherence and the performance of the shadow cache algorithm. Acceleration of the photo-realistic integral images generation using the image-space coherence information between shadows and rays in integral ray tracing has been achieved with up to 41 % of time saving. Also, it has been proven that applying the new styles of pixel-tracing does not affect of the scalability of integral ray tracing running over parallel computers. The novel integral reprojection algorithm has been developed uniquely through geometrical analysis of the generation of integral image in order to use the tempo-spatial coherence information within the integral frames. A new derivation of integral projection matrix for projecting points through an axial model of a lenticular lens has been established. Rapid generation of 3D photo-realistic integral frames has been achieved with a speed four times faster than the normal generation.
Open Access
Access Network Selection in Heterogeneous Networks
(De Montfort University, 2008) Alkhawlani, Mohammed
The future Heterogeneous Wireless Network (HWN) is composed of multiple Radio Access Technologies (RATs), therefore new Radio Resource Management (RRM) schemes and mechanisms are necessary to benefit from the individual characteristics of each RAT and to exploit the gain resulting from jointly considering the whole set of the available radio resources in each RAT. These new RRM schemes have to support mobile users who can access more than one RAT alternatively or simultaneously using a multi-mode terminal. An important RRM consideration for overall HWN stability, resource utilization, user satisfaction, and Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning is the selection of the most optimal and promising Access Network (AN) for a new service request. The RRM mechanism that is responsible for selecting the most optimal and promising AN for a new service request in the HWN is called the initial Access Network Selection (ANS). This thesis explores the issue of ANS in the HWN. Several ANS solutions that attempt to increase the user satisfaction, the operator benefits, and the QoS are designed, implemented, and evaluated. The thesis first presents a comprehensive foundation for the initial ANS in the H\VN. Then, the thesis analyses and develops a generic framework for solving the ANS problem and any other similar optimized selection problem. The advantages and strengths of the developed framework are discussed. Combined Fuzzy Logic (FL), Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and Genetic Algorithms (GA) are used to give the developed framework the required scalability, flexibility, and simplicity. The developed framework is used to present and design several novel ANS algorithms that consider the user, the operator, and the QoS view points. Different numbers of RATs, MCDM tools, and FL inference system types are used in each algorithm. A suitable simulation models over the HWN with a new set of performance evolution metrics for the ANS solution are designed and implemented. The simulation results show that the new algorithms have better and more robust performance over the random, the service type, and the terminal speed based selection algorithms that are used as reference algorithms. Our novel algorithms outperform the reference algorithms in- terms of the percentage of the satisfied users who are assigned to the network of their preferences and the percentage of the users who are assigned to networks with stronger signal strength. The new algorithms maximize the operator benefits by saving the high cost network resources and utilizing the usage of the low cost network resources. Usually better results are achieved by assigning the weights using the GA optional component in the implemented algorithms.
Open Access
Accountability in the context of civilization change in China
(De Montfort University, 2015-10) Margerison, John
The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of accountability in the context of civilization change in China. Using a Foucaultian epistemic framework and archaeological method, data has been gathered from four sources: textual, interviews, case studies and surveys. Each source has been considered in terms of the viability of the modern episteme and the possibility of episteme change to ecological civilization taking place in China. Also the actors in the sustainability accountability network have been identified along with the key contingencies that could lead to changes in accountability in China. Based on the data collected there is strong evidence that the existing industrial civilization in China is seen to be unsustainable. Also that there are particular contingencies in place in China that make episteme change both likely and perhaps already taking place. The key contingency in this research is the metaphysical continuum based on harmony ideas in ancient Chinese philosophy. As a result there are strong grounds for predicting that new forms of accountability will be based around groupings of organizations in provinces, geographical areas (river basins) and regions, feeding up to accountability for sustainability at national and supra-national levels. Practically this research has opened up the possibility of accountability in China that could seriously address sustainability issues rather than the typical Western approaches based on empty rhetoric to improve reputation and legitimacy. This research has operationalized Foucault’s ideas on episteme change empirically in China. As such it represents an original contribution to research on sustainability and accountability responses thereto.