SACM - United Kingdom
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Item Restricted Risk Assessment and People Management in the One Billion Trees Project(University of Portsmouth, 2025-01-24) Asiri, Ibrahim Yousef; Brymer, KatharineThis report critically examines the integration of risk assessment and people management strategies within Mongolia’s One Billion Trees Project, a large-scale afforestation initiative launched to combat climate change. It explores how cultural dimensions, leadership approaches, and change management frameworks influence project success. Drawing on Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory, the report analyzes the cultural factors that shape stakeholder engagement and organizational behavior. Leadership models, particularly transformational and situational leadership, are evaluated for their effectiveness in mobilizing teams and communities. Change management is assessed using Kurt Lewin’s and Kotter’s frameworks to support sustainable behavioral shifts. A comprehensive Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) and Risk Register are developed to identify and evaluate environmental, operational, financial, political, and reputational risks. Mitigation strategies are proposed based on Probability-Impact (P*I) scoring. The findings emphasize the importance of adaptive leadership, culturally aware stakeholder engagement, and structured risk management in ensuring the long-term success and resilience of afforestation projects.8 0Item Restricted IDENTIFYING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR(Swansea University, 2025-09-12) Almarzouq, Faisal; Poletti, ChiaraThere is a high rate of individuals suffering from mental health represented in the criminal justice system as opposed to the general population. Many people who have mental illness are currently in jail rather than receiving care in psychiatric hospitals. The main objective of the study is to identify literature that builds a theoretical understanding of the association between mental health and criminal behaviour to provide knowledge on ways mental health conditions influence an individual likelihood to engage in criminal acts. It will conduct a systematic review to analyze, examine, and synthesize findings from research studies on the association between mental health and criminality. The study followed the Cochrane guidelines to inform the review and summarize the literature on mental health and criminal behaviour. The study results established a need to address the link between mental health, violent behaviour, and crime engagement, as this plays a significant role in shaping effective criminal justice responses. The study recommends the implementation of Crisis Intervention Team Program Model (CITPM) to train police officers in the criminal justice system to assist in responding to crimes related to people suffering from mental health illness.9 0Item Restricted Exploring implementation of clinical practice guidelines in burn care among nurses in emergency and critical care departments: a mixed methods study(Queen's University Belfast, 2024-12) Alrashdi, Mona; Clarke, Susan; Quinn, BarryBackground: Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) are essential in standardising care and improving patient outcomes, especially in managing complex conditions like burn care where early intervention is crucial. Despite their benefits, CPGs are often underutilised, particularly among nurses in high-pressure environments such as Emergency Departments (ED) and Critical Care Units (CCU). Aims: This study explored nurses' knowledge of, and motivation to use, burn care CPGs in these settings, and identified barriers and facilitators to their implementation. Method: Using an explanatory mixed-methods approach. Results: The study surveyed ED and CCU nurses across two hospitals in Saudi Arabia. In the quantitative phase, 171 nurses responded to a questionnaire testing knowledge of burn care guideline content, motivation to use them, and influencing factors, guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The findings revealed low knowledge of guideline content, with ED nurses scoring significantly lower than CCU nurses. However, prior training, whether during studies or at work, was positively associated with better knowledge. Nurses displayed moderate levels of motivation and perceived behavioural control regarding CPG use, with no significant difference between ED and CCU groups. In the qualitative phase, 25 nurses participated in interviews, which revealed three major themes influencing CPG implementation: ‘Nurses’ attitudes that impact the implementation of burn care guidelines’, ‘Key relationships’, and ‘External factors. Finally, data from both phases were integrated and aligned with the overarching theoretical framework of TPB. The analysis of qualitative data almost supported and expanded upon the findings from the quantitative phase. Conclusion: Overall, the study underscores a gap between positive perceptions of burn care CPGs and actual knowledge. Addressing barriers like training deficits and access issues while leveraging facilitators such as team support and positive attitudes could significantly improve the uptake of CPGs, ultimately enhancing patient care in ED and CCU settings.14 0Item Restricted Financial Performance, Islamic Banking, and Gender Diversity(University of New Orleans, 2025-05) Alhaddab, Abdulaziz; Kabir, hassanThe dissertation examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and women’s representation on banks’ financial performance and resilience. The study investigates the financial performance of Islamic banks compared to conventional banks in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, using data from 230 banks across 15 OIC countries from 2016 to 2022. It employs pooled OLS and random effects models to assess the impact of the pandemic on bank performance. The findings show that while the pandemic negatively impacted both Islamic and conventional banks, Islamic banks outperformed their conventional counterparts in terms of Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), and Tobin’s Q. Furthermore, the analysis identifies a potential channel for this outperformance, as Islamic banks performed better when Capital Adequacy (CAR) and Asset Turnover Ratio (ATR) were higher. Overall, the study emphasizes the resilience of Islamic banking during financial crises and provides insights for policymakers to enhance banking stability in OIC countries. The dissertation also explores the effect of women’s representation on financial performance and sustainability in the banking sector, focusing on the importance of reaching a 30% critical mass at different hierarchical levels. Using a dataset of 941 banks from 71 countries from 2014 to 2023, the study analyzes whether women’s representation at the board of directors, management, and employee levels improves financial and sustainability outcomes. The findings indicate that achieving a critical mass of women at different hierarchical levels positively affects ROA, reduces nonperforming loans (NPL), and increases earnings per share (EPS). Furthermore, greater gender diversity improves sustainability, as measured by ESG scores. However, in high-volatility environments, the positive impact of women’s representation on financial performance weakens, with lower ROA and EPS, suggesting a more risk-averse approach in volatile conditions. These findings support the critical mass theory and provide insights for policymakers and financial institutions seeking to balance diversity, risk, and performance in corporate governance. Collectively, these findings emphasize the importance of ethical banking principles and inclusive governance structures in encouraging more stable, resilient, and sustainable financial systems worldwide.36 0Item Restricted UTILISING HOT MELT EXTRUSION AND FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLING BASED 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF SOLID PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORMS AND INNOVATIVE DRUG DELIVERY DEVICES(University of Birmingham, 2023-05) ALKOLAIB, ALI; Christopher, McConvilleFused deposition modelling (FDM) is a type of three dimensional (3D) printing technology that relies on melt extrusion of thermoplastic materials for the fabrication of objects with virtually limitless opportunities of designs or geometries. Therefore, involving FDM based 3D printing technology in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical dosage forms and medical devices will be a robust method for producing customised pharmaceutical dosage forms and medical devices. Although there are no commercially available solid dosage forms produced by the FDM based 3D printing technology, the past decade has seen an increasing in research efforts that demonstrated the capacity of FDM based 3D printing to produce pharmaceutical dosage forms with customised release profiles, geometries, and dosage forms with multiple drugs (polypills). Therefore, using this type of technology in the pharmaceutical industry will allow for the printing of limitless product designs and overcome the drawbacks of conventional pharmaceutical manufacturing associated with the production of dosage forms based on the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. The work conducted herein used hot melt extrusion (HME) and FDM based 3D printing technology to manufacture different solid pharmaceutical dosage forms and novel medical devices. The starting materials prepared in this thesis were prepared using HME technology to incorporate different types of pharmaceutical drugs into various polymers, which were later utilised as feed materials for two different types of FDM based 3D printers: filament-based 3D printer and pellet based 3D printer. The assessment of the prepared drug loaded formulations regarding the mechanical properties, rheological characteristics, drug content and drug homogeneity was conducted to determine the quality of HME extrudates. The first study examined the influence of various 3D printing processing parameters including (infill percentage, infill pattern, printing speed, and layer height) on 3D fabricated solid pharmaceutical dosage form (tablet) manufactured from commercially available drug free polymer; Poly lactic acid (PLA). The analysis assessed how these parameters influenced physical characteristics, including the weight, density, and dimensions of the resulting drug free tablets. In the second study, the investigation and analysis focused on the influence of various 3D parameters on the in vitro drug release profile of 3D printed tablets. Initially, drug loaded polymers were prepared by incorporating caffeine into either the water soluble polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or the water insoluble polymer PLA utilising HME technology. These HME prepared drug loaded polymers (filaments) underwent characterisation to assess drug loading, filament diameter, extrusion capability, and thermal properties. Subsequently, FDM based 3D printer was employed to manufacture drug loaded tablets, employing different 3D parameters such as infill percentage, layer height, and infill patterns. Finally, the study analysed the impact of these parameters on the in vitro drug release of the fabricated tablets. In the third study of this thesis, the feasibility of FDM based 3D printing technology to manufacture an oral solid dosage form (tablet) containing two different drugs Isoniazid (INH) and Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (PDX) was investigated. The drug combination is commonly used as a monotherapy for the treatment of tuberculosis infection (TB). All the pharmaceutical components of the dosage form were manufactured from FDA approved ingredients. The preparation of the drug loaded polymer formulation was initially performed by the HME process in two different ways. The first method involved loading the two drugs in a single polymer matrix to synthesise single layer tablet. The second method involved loading the drugs separately into two different extrudates and joining them during the 3D printing process using a dual extrusion 3D printer to manufacture a bilayer tablet. The prepared pharmaceutical drug loaded tablets of both types were analysed and compared in terms of in vitro drug release and physical properties.4 0Item Restricted Exploring the role of STING type-I Interferon response as a therapeutic in myeloid leukaemia(University of Liverpool, 2024-10) Alsufyani, Abdullah Meshal A; Dahal, Lekh; Woolley, JohnMyeloid leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that originates from the development of abnormal myeloid cells in the bone marrow and classified into either acute or chronic myeloid leukaemia (AML/CML). Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) poses a unique challenge in haematological oncology due to its aggressive nature and significant genetic diversity. Unlike Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML), which is primarily driven by the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene and can be effectively managed with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Intensive chemotherapy is the front-line treatment for AML, and not all patients fit or can tolerate it owing to its toxicity. Targeted therapies customised to the molecular and cytogenetic profiles of each patient have been administered for AML treatment and improved the management of AML. Nevertheless, their efficacy is often limited, since some individuals may acquire resistance over time. Thus, AML patients have the worse overall survival (OS) compared to CML patients. Type-I IFN signalling through STING pathway appears to negatively impact the development of leukaemia, in line with its downstream functions, such as increase in rate of apoptosis, increase in AML immunogenicity, and decrease in cell proliferation. STING is found highly expressed in AML, making it an appealing therapeutic target. Its activation has the potential to overcome the immunosuppressive bone marrow microenvironment, where conventional immune responses are less effective, and could stimulate a robust immune response against AML. This highlights the promise of STING-based therapies in a disease where conventional treatments often fall short, offering a new strategy to address the challenges posed by AML's genetic complexity. The role of STING gene in the outcome of AML were studied through various approaches including bioinformatics, cellular and molecular biology and immunoassay techniques. Bioinformatics databases were used to analyse and evaluate STING expression in AML and how this affects the OS and patients’ prognosis. The efficacy of STING agonist (CDA) in human AML and CML cell lines was assessed by western blotting to study the functioning of STING signalling pathway in AML and CML, and RT-qPCR to evaluate the production of type-I IFN and its ability to induce of innate immune response in those cells. Flow cytometry was used to assess apoptosis and cell proliferation. Application of Immune assay in a co-culture system enabled us to study tumour microenvironment in vitro by assessing immune cells response against AML/CML upon STING activation in the co-culture through performing T-cell proliferation, NK cell lysis of tumour cells (ADCC assay), macrophage phagocytosis (ADCP assay) and Dendritic cells efferocytosis assay. Finally, Studying the synergetic effect of STING agonist in combination with hypomethylating agent such as 5’Azacytidine and how these combinations enhance tumour anti-immunity. Publicly available database was used for bioinformatic analysis and showed that STING gene is highly expressed and associated with myeloid lineage while MAVS gene which encodes Mitochondrial Antiviral Signalling Protein (MAVS) was associated with lymphoid lineage in HSCs. Significantly, elevated STING expression was positively correlated with increased overall survival in AML dataset (OHSU, TCGA). An In vitro study demonstrated that STING agonist was able to activate STING pathway in AML and CML cell lines within 1 hour, leading to IFN-β upregulation. I demonstrated that STING pathway activation inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. These physiological changes upon STING activation were accompanied by alterations in the AML and CML immunophenotype within 24 hours such as (HLA A,B,C and CD86). Furthermore, the In vitro study of the tumour microenvironment through employing immune cells and AML/CML cells in a co-culture system showed that treating the co-culture with STING agonist restores CD8 T-cell proliferation comparing to suppressed CD8 T-cells in untreated co-culture. STING agonist also enhanced macrophage and dendritic cells phagocytosis in the co-culture to the target cells when measured by flow cytometry and upregulated the activator FcγR and reduced the inhibitory one in macrophage as well as enhanced antigen presenting markers on DC. Significantly, transcriptomic analysis revealed that the high state of immune response induced by a hypomethylating agent treatment 5-Azacytidine (5'Aza), through "viral mimicry induction," enhanced the sensitivity of an AML cell line that was less responsive to STING activation when treated with the STING agonist alone, making the cell line more responsive to combination therapy. Taken together, these results pointed to the synergetic effect of STING agonist in combination with chemotherapy such as 5’Aza and these combinations enhanced tumour anti immunity.13 0Item Restricted Hydrodynamics of Oscillating Water Columns Integrated in Breakwaters(Imperial College London, 2025) Almalki, Yusuf; Karmpadakis, IoannisThis thesis explores the integration of Oscillating Water Columns (OWCs) into breakwaters, leveraging the dual functionality of wave energy conversion and coastal protection. A combination of extensive experimental datasets and numerical simulations was used to assess the effects of design configurations on performance. The work offers key insights into the physical mechanisms governing OWC behaviour, emphasises the importance of design optimisation, and contributes to guidelines for efficient renewable energy deployment. A novel power estimation method is introduced to improve the accuracy of physical modelling. In parallel, a rigorous uncertainty analysis systematically identifies and quantifies key sources of uncertainty. The findings of this work provide critical guidance for improving the reliability and precision of OWC experimental evaluations. Together, these advancements establish a robust framework for subsequent analyses. Using this framework, an extensive experimental dataset was generated to examine the effects of key geometric parameters, including: (a) breakwater geometry, (b) pneumatic efficiency, (c) chamber geometry, (d) chamber positioning, and (e) front and back wall designs. Performance was assessed in terms of energy capture and shoreline protection. The findings provide valuable insights for the design and development of more efficient OWC-breakwaters. Complementary computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, validated against experiments, examined turbulence-induced energy dissipation and scale effects. The results reveal that front-wall profiles significantly affect turbulence and overall efficiency, while scale effects were found to be minimal, suggesting the feasibility of fine-tuning draft designs at laboratory scales as a practical measure. Finally, this thesis examined device performance under a wide range of random wave conditions and investigated the probabilistic nature of the energy conversion process. Specifically, it analysed the peaks of the OWC’s power output and proposed a Gamma distribution model to effectively predict its probability density function. The results provide valuable insights for optimising OWC designs for real-sea conditions.7 0Item Restricted Key Psychosocial Experiences of Individuals with Limb Loss for Physiotherapists to Consider During Amputation and Prosthetic Rehabilitation: A Qualitative Synthesis Study(UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON, 2025) BATAHF, AMAL; DONOVAN-HALL, MAGGIEAbstract Purpose: Amputation and prosthetic rehabilitation require a holistic, patient-centered approach that addresses physical, psychological, and social aspects. This paper focuses on the psychosocial experiences of people who have undergone lower limb amputation to support physiotherapists in enhancing the quality of care provided during rehabilitation. Materials and Methods: A qualitative synthesis of peer-reviewed studies exploring psychosocial adaptation to limb amputation was conducted. Ten qualitative studies published between 2018 and 2025 were included. Thematic analysis identified factors physiotherapists should consider during rehabilitation. Results: Five main themes emerged: (1) ‘Psychological distress and coping mechanisms’, highlighting the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and grief; (2) ‘Social adaptation and support systems’, emphasizing family and peer support, and community reintegration; (3) ‘Identity challenges and post-amputation adjustment’, illustrating struggles in self-identity and social roles; (4) ‘Patient-centered rehabilitation and motivation’, underscoring motivation, goal setting, and therapist engagement; and (5) ‘Challenges in transitioning to independent living’, identifying financial constraints, prosthetic access issues, and service gaps. Conclusions: Integrating psychological support, peer mentorship, and culturally informed rehabilitation into physiotherapy for individuals with limb loss is essential. Addressing psychosocial factors enhances rehabilitation and quality of life. This study recommends holistic rehabilitation strategies incorporating mental health interventions, patient empowerment, and equitable prosthetic and rehabilitation services access. Keywords: Lower limb amputation, psychosocial experiences, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, social support, psychological distress, prosthetic access, patient-centered care.6 0Item Restricted Prototype Augmented Reality Spatial Navigation Test for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Study(University College London, 2024) Almubarak, Albatool; Coco, Newton; Dennis, ChanAlzheimer’s Disease (AD) neuropathology can be detected before the onset of clinical symptoms. However, early detection is challenged by the limited sensitivity and specificity of current diagnostic tests for AD. Early detection can reduce the global burden of AD and facilitate better clinical management and early access to effective treatment. This study piloted a novel, easy-to-administer, cost-effective Augmented Reality (AR) spatial navigation test that has the potential for clinical application. The AR test measures angular estimation and replication which is thought to target entorhinal cortex function, as the first cortical region to evidence neuropathology in early AD. The study found that young and elderly participants did not differ in their performance, independent of demographic characteristics. This provides preliminary proof of concept in support of our hypothesis that the test would be sensitive and specific to early AD, beyond natural age-related decline in spatial navigation or demographics. We also found that performance accuracy differed across angle ranges depending on whether the angle was turned clockwise or anticlockwise. These results provide preliminary baseline data against which prodromal patients’ performance can be compared in the next piloting study. User-feedback data indicated an overall positive experience of the AR test, providing preliminary acceptability and usability of the test for potential clinical application. Recommendations were proposed for improving the AR test.12 0Item Restricted The role of Tet2 and Tet3 in the molecular programming of blood cell differentiation during zebrafish development(University of Nottingham, 2025) Alayed, Amal Saeed; Gering, Martin; Wilkinson, RobDNA methylation is an epigenetic mark that regulates gene expression during cellular differentiation. Ten-eleven translocation (Tet) dioxygenase enzymes are involved in active demethylation and are required for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) differentiation. HSCs arise from haemogenic endothelial cells (HECs) in arterial vessels, which depend on Notch signalling for their specification. Initially, the loss of HSC formation in tet2/tet3 double mutants was attributed to a failure in HEC formation caused by defective Notch signalling, despite normal vascular patterning and arterial specification. This study aimed to reinvestigate Notch signalling and HEC development in the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta (vDA) of tet2/tet3 double mutants to resolve these inconsistencies. Here, the Notch reporter transgene csl:mCherry was expressed in the endothelium of the vDA in the absence of Tet2 and Tet3. Confocal analysis of the gene trap line qmc551, which exhibits GFP expression in primitive red blood cells (prRBCs) and HECs of the vDA, demonstrated normal GFP expression in HECs of the vDA at 2 days post fertilisation (dpf). It also revealed a few GFP+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the mesenchyme below the DA in tet2/tet3 double mutants. Whole-mount in situ hybridisation (WISH) experiments using the HEC marker growth factor independence 1aa (gfi1aa) revealed that, at 40 hours post fertilisation (hpf), gfi1aa expression persisted in the HECs of the vDA in tet2/tet3 double mutant embryos, contrasting with its typical downregulation in wild-type (WT) embryos at this stage. These findings suggest a defect in the endothelial- to-hematopoietic transition (EHT), likely resulting from disrupted epigenetic programming of HECs in the absence of the two Tet proteins. In tet2/tet3 double mutant embryos, circulation appeared normal without evident shunts; however, blood flow velocity was reduced. To investigate the molecular programming underlying these defects, single-cell transcriptome analysis was performed on a cell population enriched for qmc551:GFP and Gata1a:dsRed single and double- positive cells isolated from 2dpf WT and tet2/tet3 double mutant embryos. Transcriptomic analyses revealed significant downregulation of key endothelial genes, such as apelin, plvapb, casz1, and pecam1. These data suggest a critical role for Tet2 and Tet3 in endothelial programming and angiogenesis. The analysis also showed significant downregulation of erythroid genes in prRBCs. WISH experiments revealed increased gata1a expression in circulating prRBCs at 2 and 3dpf, indicating a late maturation defect in tet2/tet3 double mutant embryos. Additionally, reduced slc4a1a mRNA expression in mutants at 20hpf, prior to the onset of circulation, suggests delayed early differentiation of prRBCs. These findings indicate that the absence of both Tet2 and Tet3 leads to delayed erythroid development. In summary, this study elucidates the multifaceted roles of Tet2 and Tet3 proteins in regulating both primitive and definitive hematopoietic waves during zebrafish embryogenesis.7 0