http://wlv.openrepository.com:80/wlv WIRE captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material. Thu, 17 May 2012 22:20:13 GMT 2012-05-17T22:20:13Z http://hdl.handle.net/2436/220774 Title: Globalisation and Architectural Behaviour in The United Arab Emirates - Towards Reformation of humanitarian Architecture Authors: Ahmed, Mohammed M. Abstract: This study seeks to investigate the impact of globalisation on the architectural behaviour in the United Arab Emirates, to clarify the benefits and risks of globalised architecture in architectural behaviour. Although there are several supporters of globalisation who see the phenomenon as a means of progress and development, many experts have indicated that this phenomenon has been demolishing local culture and regional considerations, and ignoring residents’ requirements. As a result, this study presents all the views about this phenomenon from many aspects, such as political, social, economic and environmental, whereby it investigates the changes in architecture and urban planning due to global standards, methods of construction, and building materials. The literature review was the first part of the study and the theoretical studies were divided into three pivots in this thesis: The globalisation impacts and features, the relationship between globalisation and architecture and the last pivot concentrates on the human needs in architecture. The study also concentrates on the impact of globalisation on architecture through the terminology of “globalised architecture”, and focuses on some global phenomena in the architectural domain, such as skyscrapers, multi-storey buildings and iconic landmarks. The empirical study examines this argument about globalisation through questionnaires and interviews. A comparison is drawn between two groups: globalised houses is the first group, which reflects globalisation’s impacts on architecture, where this provides easier ways to specify features, elements and specifications for the era. In contrast, the non-globalised sample is the opposite of the first group, because it reflects the features of houses without the impacts of globalisation. Ultimately, the findings indicated that there are differences between the two groups. Both samples occurred in the same place and time, but the form of architecture and urban design has affected human behaviour. Thus, this study suggests a paradigm that could provide more humanitarian elements in architecture and urban design. It also suggests some general recommendations supporting human needs, and local considerations such as standards and codes. Description: A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2436/220774 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2436/219331 Title: ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC BEHAVIOUR IN DYNAMIC BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS: THE CASE OF THE EX-SUGAR BEET FARMERS OF THE WEST MIDLANDS Authors: May, Daniel E Abstract: Abstract Cropping allocations have normally been studied using frameworks that assume the existence of a representative farmer who cares about maximising gross margin. Evidence has shown that results obtained from these studies to predict cropping allocations in response to policy reforms are not satisfactory. On the other hand, an alternative research using multivariate models (i.e. models that consider economic and social-psychological variables to explain farmers’ behaviour) has been developed with the purpose of identifying farmers’ motivations to adopt specific environmental policies. However, this research has not been extended to study strategic cropping decisions. This is surprising given the fact that policy reforms strongly affect the allocation of crops when they are accompanied with the elimination of domestic distorting policies. The objective of this thesis is to fill this gap by proposing a novel holistic multivariate model designed exclusively to study farmers’ strategic cropping decisions. The proposed model integrates a number of alternative and complementary approaches that can explain farmers’ strategic behaviour. The model was applied to a sample of ex-sugar beet farmers in the West Midlands region of the UK to investigate the way in which these individuals adjusted to the Sugar Regime reform introduced on 20th February 2006. As a consequence of this reform, the sugar beet factory located in Allscott in Shropshire was closed and the sugar beet growers in this area adjusted by replacing sugar beet with alternative crops. Evidence has revealed that these farmers replaced sugar beet with crops with low gross margin such as oilseed. This choice is puzzling because other crops with high levels of gross margin such as carrots and parsnips were also available when the reform was implemented. The proposed multivariate model not only was useful to explain this choice, but also identified heterogeneous behavioural responses that no related research has identified so far. Description: A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2436/219331 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2436/219012 Title: Lipsome encapsulated antimicrobial metal ions and essential oils Authors: Low, Wan Li Abstract: Abstract This study investigates the feasibility of using TTO and Ag+ alone and in combination either as free or liposome encapsulated agents. Based on the minimum lethal concentration (MLC), the fractional lethal concentration index (FLCI) showed that treatment with unencapsulated combinations of TTO and Ag+ exerted a synergistic effect against P. aeruginosa (FLCI = 0.263) and indifferent effects against S. aureus and C. albicans (0.663 and 0.880, respectively). Using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) emulsified agents in combination, showed synergistic effects against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus (FLCI = 0.325 and 0.375, respectively), but C. albicans remained indifferent (FLCI = 0.733). Time kill experiments revealed that the combined agent concentrations and elimination time (to the lowest limit of detection, LOD) are as follows: C. albicans: 0.12%v/vTTO:2.5x10-4Ag+:1.5hrs, P. aeruginosa: 1%v/vTTO:3.2x10-4Ag+:15mins and S. aureus: 1.2%v/vTTO:3.2x10-4Ag+:30mins. Repeating these experiments with emulsified TTO encapsulated in liposomes (lipo-TTO:PVA30-70kDa) against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus reduced the effective amount of TTO required (compared to free TTO). However, this was not observed in C. albicans. The required effective concentration of Ag+ from liposome encapsulated Ag+ (lipo-Ag+) was shown to remain the same as free Ag+. The effective concentration and elimination time of liposomal agents in combination are as follows: C. albicans: 0.05%v/vTTO:PVA:8.9x10-5Ag:PVA:2.0hrs, P. aeruginosa: 0.25%v/vTTO:PVA:3.2x10-4Ag:PVA:30mins and S. aureus: 0.05%v/vTTO:PVA:6.0x10-4Ag:PVA:1.5hrs. These results showed the potential of using TTO and Ag+ in combination, along with liposome delivery systems to effectively lower the MLC. Scanning electron micrographs of microorganisms exposed to Ag+ showed a reduction in cell size when compared to untreated cells. Transmission electron micrograph of C. albicans showed the cell surface damaging potential of Ag+. Furthermore, this investigation also demonstrated the feasibility of using chitosan hydrogels as an alternative delivery system for TTO and/or Ag+. The development of these controlled release systems to deliver alternative antimicrobial agents may allow sustained targeted delivery at microbiocidal concentrations. Description: Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2436/219012 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2436/211189 Title: Accent Conversion via Formant-based Spectral Mapping and Pitch Contour Modification Authors: Zheng, Dang Cong Abstract: Accent conversion intends to change the accent of a speaker to a desired accent and preserve the speaker’s voice identity. This technology can offer a number of useful applications. For example, integrating accent conversion to a text-to-speech system (TTS) can produce a voice with a desired accent instantly and inexpensively. Applying the technology to the film industry can change an actor’s or actress’s accent to a desired accent without hard training for the actor or actress to learn a new accent; this can be achieved by modifying the accent of the film recordings. As a foreign language learning tool, it could allow the learners to listen to their own voice with the native speaker’s accent and to mimic that accent. Hence, enhance learning experience and improve learning progress. In this dissertation, a new approach in both accent analysis and conversion has been proposed. In contrast to previous approaches in accent-related research, such as in regional or foreign accent classification and identification, where the databases are formed from large groups of single-accent speakers, this study uses data from an individual who can speak in two accents. This removes the effects of inter-speaker variability and facilitates efficient identification and analysis of acoustic features of different accents. Two British regional accents which display distinct differences to the human listener were used in this study as two typical British regional accents. Vowel based acoustic analysis was carried out to investigate the acoustic characteristics of the two accents and identify the prominent features that are most influential on the variability of accents. Acoustic characteristics such as formant frequencies, fundamental frequency and its variation slope, intensity of speech, and duration of phone were used for accent acoustic analysis. In this dissertation, accent conversion via formants modification and pitch contour manipulation was investigated. Three different formant-based spectral mappingalgorithms, mean-variance linear conversion, Nth order non-linear conversion and piece-wise linear transformation based on Gaussian mixture model conversion were investigated. Furthermore, the project has implemented accent conversion on a general speech analysis and synthesis system; the output speech synthesized by the three mapping algorithms was assessed by objective and subjective evaluation. The effects of spectral conversion and pitch contour conversion on accent conversion were also evaluated. The results of the study showed that accent conversion can be achieved to some degree via formants modification and pitch contour manipulation. Description: A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Master of Philosophy Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2436/211189 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z