Emotional intelligence has become a popular construct in both academic and applied settings (Petrides, Furnham, & Fredickinson, 2004; Zizzi, Deaner, & Hirschhorn, 2003). Research indicates that emotional intelligence is associated with successful performance outcomes in a range of domains including academia (Parker, Summerfeldt, Hogan, & Majeski, 2004), business (Zeidner, Matthews, & Roberts, 2004) and health (Pau & Crocker, 2003). Such findings have prompted researchers to explore the potential utility of emotional intelligence in sport (Meyer & Fletcher, 2007; Meyer & Zizzi, 2007). The present MPhil thesis has a two-pronged approach of examining emotional intelligence in sport. Conceptual issues of emotional intelligence are examined in relation to model approach and measurement. Therefore, two studies investigated the validity and reliability of the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS: Schutte et al., 1998). Results demonstrate that a revised version of the EIS (Schutte et al., 1998) is a useful measure of emotional intelligence for use in sport, although it has several limitations. These investigations also found support for the use of a six-factor model of the EIS (Schutte et al., 1998) comprising of appraisal of own emotions, appraisal of others emotions, regulation, utilization of emotions, optimism and social skills. Once conceptual issues have been examined and psychometric properties are found for a measure, it is also prudent to explore relationships between emotional intelligence and other related variables. To this extent, two studies explored the relationships between emotional intelligence and other related variables. In examining relationships between emotional intelligence and anger, both quantitative and qualitative data demonstrated that participants high in emotional intelligence ability were able to utilise strategies to combat the negative effects of anger. In a follow up study, relationships between emotional intelligence, mental toughness, and psychological skills were examined. Results showed that emotional intelligence, mental toughness, and psychological skills relationships co-exist. Arguably, these findings are important given that these variables can relate to emotional control and successful performance outcomes. Findings also lend support to the assumption that practitioners could utilise intervention programmes to assess emotional intelligence and its direction in relation to mental toughness and psychological skills. In summary, emotional intelligence is an important construct and its utility in sport should be further examined.

This study investigated the effect of detergent treatment on susceptibility of attached Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes to subsequent disinfectant treatment, in relation to food industry cleaning procedures. E. coli attached to stainless steel surfaces became significantly more susceptible to benzalkonium chloride (BAC) after treatment with sodium alkyl sulphate (SAS) by 0.51 Log10 cfu ml-1 and fatty alcohol ethoxylate (FAE) by 0.96 Log10 cfu ml-1. No change in susceptibility was observed with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), sodium lauryl ethyl sulphate (SLES) or polyethoxylated alcohol (PEA). L. monocytogenes became significantly less susceptible to BAC after treatment with anionic detergents SAS by 0.79 Log10 cfu ml-1, SDS by 0.33 Log10 cfu ml-1 and SLES by 0.22 Log10 cfu ml-1, yet no change in susceptibility was observed with FAE. Following treatment with all detergents both organisms became significantly more susceptible to sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) demonstrating that the effect of the disinfectant was independent of detergent type. Flow cytometry using the fluorochrome propidium iodide (PI) revealed significant increases in cell membrane permeability of both organisms by all detergents except sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and the effect was much greater in E. coli. Increasing above the in-use concentration of SAS and FAE had no further effect on cell membrane permeability, or susceptibility to BAC. Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) showed that E. coli became less hydrophobic following treatment with SAS, SDS, FAE and L. monocytogenes became less hydrophobic following treatment with SAS and SDS but no effect was seen with FAE. Investigations into carbon chain length of detergent revealed that SAS and the C18 standard increased susceptibility of E. coli to BAC which, with permeability results, suggests a link between increase in susceptibility to BAC and increase in membrane permeability. Efflux experiments with L. monocytogenes showed that efflux of ethidium bromide (EtBr) was greater from cells treated with SAS than with FAE suggesting that the anionic charge on the detergent molecule influences an efflux mechanism that reduces susceptibility to BAC. Overall the results demonstrate that detergent type can influence the sensitivity of persistent food borne microorganisms to BAC and NaDCC and the significance of the findings may impact on the choice of agents used in cleaning procedures in the food industry.

This thesis discusses two important anti-socialist organisations which have received little attention from historians: the British Empire Union (BEU) and the National Citizens’ Union (NCU). It assesses the ideology, activity and impact of these bodies between 1917 and 1927. Difficulties arise in this task due to the absence in the archives of substantial amounts of manuscript evidence such as minute books and correspondence. The history of these organisations has, therefore, been reconstructed primarily from contemporary published sources. This material allows us to develop a picture of these organisations which reveals a close affinity with mainstream Conservatism both in terms of ideology and personnel. This contradicts to an extent the impression given in the relatively thin treatment of these organisations in the historiography, which tends to focus on their alleged extremism. The thesis shows that the BEU and the NCU embodied opinions which encompassed a range of political positions, ranging from support for the Liberal-led post-war Coalition as a means of uniting all those ‘Constitutionalist’ forces opposed to socialism, to calls for the setting up of an ‘English Fascisti’ to emulate Mussolini’s example in Italy and physically destroy the socialist movement in Britain. The thesis examines the role of the BEU in combating the alleged menace of ‘British Bolshevism’. It assesses the importance of the NCU in the events leading to the collapse of the Coalition government in October 1922; and its role in strikebreaking. It looks at how both organisations had a part in the development of Conservative strategies for defeating the electoral challenge of the Labour Party. It assesses the relationship between the British anti-socialist right and fascism as it was understood in the 1920s. The thesis concludes that the two organisations under discussion were relatively influential inside the Conservative Party, particularly among backbench MPs and party activists; they were important catalysts in the development of anti-socialist alliances in municipal elections, which arguably influenced Conservative strategies in parliamentary contests; and they were able to divert potentially ‘fascist’ energies and obsessions into the respectable, mainstream political discourse of British Conservatism. Ironically the Conservative Party's openness to anti-socialism contributed significantly to the marginalisation of the BEU and the NCU, as did the weakness of the revolutionary socialist threat in Britain, particularly after the failure of the General Strike in May 1926.

It is the aim of this study to establish live neonatal nurse and parental infant-directed singing as a potentially efficacious intervention that is beneficial to the health and development of infants in neonatal care and which could conceivably be integrated into nursing practice and the neonatal care environment in a way that is both practical and viable. An appraisal of extant literature highlights the need for further intervention in neonatal care, explains how music meets the necessary criterion as appropriate intervention and discusses its potential, specifically infant-directed singing, to be provided by neonatal nurses and parents. The willingness of neonatal nurses and parents to engage in infant-directed singing in the neonatal care unit environment is assessed through an informal questionnaire survey. From the findings of this and other studies, implications and recommendations for both areas and methods for future research are extrapolated. The intention behind this study is to generate interest and awareness of academics and medical professionals in this potentially cost effective intervention, promoting future research and practice. It is hoped that this will ultimately result in the comfort of song providing profound benefits to the physiological, psychological and emotional development and wellbeing of all infants in neonatal care.

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.

Platelets are known to play a key role in acute coronary events, such as myocardial infarction, associated with advanced atherosclerosis, but a number of papers have recently been published suggesting that platelet adhesion may initiate atherosclerotic lesion formation. The proposed research aimed to investigate this by seeing whether platelet adhesion occurred, directly or via leukocytes, to the endothelium in diabetic conditions. Diabetic-like conditions were chosen because an accelerated rate of lesion formation occurs. This was achieved by incubating endothelial cells with high concentrations of glucose and various types of AGEs. Bovine serum albumin of different purity, a peptide of albumin, and haemoglobin were glycated with D-glucose. Samples were taken at 2 weeks intervals to allow for determining the extent of glycation and allowing for investigation into whether the extent of glycation affected platelet adhesion. It also made possible analysis of extent of glycation, to see whether these have a relation to endothelial dysfunction (including cell proliferation, cell adhesion molecule expression, and ROS and cytokine production). There are discrepancies in the finding of studies looking into the effect of AGEs on the endothelium and there are no reported studies looking at cytokine production. As such, it was hoped that this research would allow for a greater understanding of the processes involved and whether endothelial dysfunction could account for accelerated lesion formation associated with diabetes. As a whole, the research intended to explore the hypothesis that platelet adhesion to the endothelium is required for foam cell formation and their development into atherosclerotic lesions. It aimed to see whether hyperglycaemia and the presence of high levels of AGEs induces endothelial dysfunction and therefore increases monocyte adhesion by the presence of activated platelets. In doing so, a greater understanding of the processes involved in accelerated lesion formation would allow for targeted research to allow for treatments to reduce foam cell deposition. This could be the use of a cocktail of anti-platelet drugs or ones that reduce endothelial dysfunction. This would reduce the manifestation of cardiovascular disease and therefore improve diabetic patient life as well as reduce the cost of treatment for the NHS, and therefore for the tax payer.

The bioremediation of modelled petroleum oil-contaminated soils of the Niger Delta by a mixed culture of three hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, Acinetobacter sp, Rhodococcus sp and Pseudomonas sp, was investigated. These bacterial strains were selected based on criteria that they were able to utilize hydrocarbons (hexadecane and sodium benzoate) as the sole source of carbon and energy and were able to show significant growth in crude oil at an optimum temperature of 30oC. For maximal bacterial growth and degradation effective aeration and agitation was required, thus the choice of the shake flask method over the bioscreen growth analyzer for this investigation. The influence of hexadecane concentrations (0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0%) on the bacterial isolates was investigated and it revealed that the Rhodococcus sp because of its different metabolic pathway showed a more rapid growth on hexadecane concentrations as compared Pseudomonas sp and Acinetobacter sp. Amongst the bacterial isolates, Pseudomonas sp exhibited a more rapid growth on 0.5% sodium benzoate while the two others showed minimal growth. Pseudomonas sp Rhodococcus sp and Acinetobacter sp showed a synergistic association when grown on basal salt medium supplemented with 1.0% w/v petroleum crude oil. The influences of a zeolite (clinoptilolite), soil structure and particle size on biodegradation of crude oil in modelled silt-clay and sandy soil of Niger Delta was investigated. Soils from the Hilton site, East-Shropshire, United Kingdom were used for the Niger Delta soils formulation. Geochemical properties of the soil samples from the x-ray fluorescence showed major elements are sodium, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, iron with silicon having high percentage, while x-ray diffraction analysis revealed minerals such as quartz, kaolinite, illite and smectite, which are similar to those of the Niger Delta. The preliminary investigation showed a more rapid and greater extent of apparent oil removal with the addition of both bacterial consortium and clinoptilolite on soil amendment experiments at 30oC for a period of 30 days. There was 79% oil removal by the bacterial consortium in the soil amended with clinoptilolite as compared to 67% in the case of the amended soils without clinoptilolite. Although the addition of both bacterial consortium and clinoptilolite enhanced the removal of the crude oil, however the effect of clinoptilolite may be one of abiotic removal. The soil structure investigation without clinoptilolite augmentation showed that oil removal in the silt-clay soil was significantly greater than that of the sandy II soil after 30 days period (p< 0.0001). There was 72.7% ± 0.8% oil removal by the bacterial consortium in the silt-clay soil as compared to 55.6% ± 0.7% in the case of the sandy soil. However, there was 79.1% ± 0.4% oil removal by the bacterial consortium in the silt-clay soil amended with clinoptilolite as compared to 67.3% ± 0.8% in the case of the amended sandy soils with clinoptilolite. Gas chromatographic profile showed appreciable reductions in hydrocarbon, the rate of which depended upon the particular hydrocarbon. Quantitative analysis of residual oil extract from the silt-clay and sandy soil amended with and without zeolite showed a high rate of degradation for lighter hydrocarbon components (C10– C18) compared to the heavier ones (C24 – C28) by the bacterial consortium. Hydrocarbon components (C10– C18) from both silty-clay and sandy soils amended with zeolite were degraded by the bacterial consortium to 92.1% - 57.7% and 74% - 43.7% respectively, while the soils without zeolite showed degradation rate of 80.4% - 44.8% (silt-clay) and 69.4% - 42.8% (sandy). Hydrocarbon components (C24– C28) from both soils showed an apparent low rate of degradation. The results of this study indicate that the application of the bacterial consortium and clinoptilolite lead to greater rates of biodegradation in the clay soil then in the sandy soil. Studies showed that nutrient addition and aeration both affected the rate of hydrocarbon utilization. The postulated application of selected bacteria in the bioaugumentation of oil contaminated environment in the Niger Delta region was discussed.

This thesis presents the Ph.D. research from the initial stages of investigation, to design and development of an intelligent architecture for vehicles. It was identified that vehicles, intelligent transport systems (ITS) and infrastructure lack a shared platform that allows them to be integrated and work together. With a robust and intelligent framework, distributed ITS can work and improve traffic efficiency. If these gaps are addressed, then they can provide reductions in cost, space and integration opportunities for enhanced functionality as well as additional services. As a part of this research a novel framework was developed, and two ITS systems were integrated such that remote communication with the infrastructure was achieved. Evaluation of this framework indicated that information can be shared across vehicle systems and other ITS systems could be added to the network to improve performance, safety and enforcement. To support the framework design, a Traffic Improvement Algorithm (TIA) was developed that improves traffic efficiency. This was validated using micro simulation tool that showed improvement in traffic efficiency when the algorithm was used. When bringing new technology into the market, there are some fundamental influencing factors affecting the selection and development prior to entering the end-user market. These factors are often neglected, and the current market lacks the ability to analyse the time it would take the new technology to come into the market. As a part of this research, a toolkit was developed that helps in estimating the time the technology takes to penetrate the market.

In this research, Procrustes and Euclidean distance matrix analysis (EDMA) have been investigated for analysing the three-dimensional shape and form of the human back. Procrustes analysis is used to distinguish deformed backs from normal backs. EDMA is used to locate the changes occurring on the back surface due to spinal deformity (scoliosis, kyphosis and lordosis) for back deformity patients. A surface topography system, ISIS2 (Integrated Shape Imaging System 2), is available to measure the three-dimensional back surface. The system presents clinical parameters, which are based on distances and angles relative to certain anatomical landmarks on the back surface. Location, rotation and scale definitely influence these parameters. Although the anatomical landmarks are used in the present system to take some account of patient stance, it is still felt that variability in the clinical parameters is increased by the use of length and angle data. Patients also grow and so their back size, shape and form change between appointments with the doctor. Instead of distances and angles, geometric shape that is independent of location, rotation and scale effects could be measured. This research is mainly focusing on the geometric shape and form change in the back surface, thus removing the unwanted effects. Landmarks are used for describing back information and an analysis of the variability in positioning the landmarks has been carried out for repeated measurements. Generalized Procrustes analysis has been applied to all normal backs to calculate a mean Procrustes shape, which is named the standard normal shape (SNS). Each back (normal and deformed) is then translated, rotated and scaled to give a best fit with the SNS using ordinary Procrustes analysis. Riemannian distances are then estimated between the SNS and all individual backs. The highest Riemannian distance value between the normal backs and the SNS is lower than the lowest Riemannian distance value between the deformed backs and the SNS. The results shows that deformed backs can be differentiated from normal backs. EDMA has been used to estimate a mean form, variance-covariance matrix and mean form difference from all the normal backs. This mean form is named the standard normal form (SNF). The influence of individual landmarks for form difference between each deformed back and the SNF is estimated. A high value indicates high deformity on the location of that landmark and a low value close to 1 indicates less deformity. The result is displayed in a graph that provides information regarding the degree and location of the deformity. The novel aspects of this research lie in the development of an effective method for assessing the three-dimensional back shape; extracting automatic landmarks; visualizing back shape and back form differences.

Ankle injuries are one of the most common injuries in sport, often leading to functional deficits and instability, a vicious cycle of recurrent sprains and time loss due to injury. Although research has been conducted on the best methods of treating such deficits and instability, new training methodologies are continually being sought to help improve clinical outcomes and with this comes a need for designed research to test such hypotheses. The purpose of the present research was to investigate the effect of vibration training on balance and muscle function in physically active individuals suffering self reported functional ankle instability (FAI). Stage one of the research was to initially investigate the effect of a six week whole body vibration training (WBVT) exercise routine on 38 University dancers reporting FAI. An initial assessment of the severity of the instability was done using the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT), to identify those who classed themselves functionally unstable but still able to participate in their chosen sport. The group was randomly arranged into one of two groups (treatment and control) and a pre/post test study was undertaken, with the control group asked to continue normal activity. The selection of participants was based on instability score from the CAIT. A larger sample of athletes was initially recruited across two accessible sports of football and dance due to access and availability. These groups then completed CAIT and where included if scoring criteria were met. The treatment group undertook six weeks of progressive vibration training on a stabile vibration system. Pre and post testing consisted of measures of static single leg balance, a Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and Electromyography (EMG) of peroneus longus in demi-pointe. Results indicated a significant improvement in static balance (p = .04) and certain SEBT directions within the treatment group compared to the control group (p <.05). Neither group reported any significant difference in mean power frequency for the peroneus longus (p >.05). The results of the study suggested six weeks vibration training improved certain balance parameters within FAI populations. These results although initially encouraging, identified the need for further research with not just a direct comparison between treatment and control, but a closer examination of the effect of vibration training in comparison to more classical methods of rehabilitation before it can be recommended as a serious methods of treatment for FAI. The second stage of the research involved the implementation of a new piece of rehabilitation equipment which combined a vibration unit within a wobble board (Vibrosphere TM, Sweden). The manufactures claim the combination of the two principles accelerates rehabilitation for numerous lower body injuries and disorders. This specially designed unit allowed direct analysis of the effect of the vibration component of the unit on balance and muscle function, by comparing those who used the combined vibration/wobble board and those who simply used the wobble board alone. A control group was also included to analyse any difference over time as the testing was done during a pre-season training cycle. The research consisted of 33 semi-professional footballers reporting FAI as confirmed by CAIT and taler tilt and an anterior drawer test, being randomly assigned to one of three groups; Vibration/wobble board, Wobble board alone and Control. Both Vibration/wobble board and Wobble board alone completed identical exercises on identical equipment so results could not be attributed to different equipment. The results of the study suggest a significant difference in static balance; modified SEBT and Single leg triple hop for distance between groups with the greatest improvement being within the combined vibration/wobble board group (p <.05). The results suggest the combination of vibration and wobble board improve balance and functional strength in those footballers reporting FAI compared to wobble board training alone. The precise mechanisms behind the current results are unclear. It has been suggested that it may be due to vibration having a positive effect on the stimulation of mechanoreceptors and the combination of that and unstable surface control seems to be optimal. It is difficult to compare studies but the research has highlighted certain areas for further research. The difference in static balance and SEBT scores between the dancers and footballers seems to suggest that the CAIT scores although similar may identify the need for more specific tests for each population. Also a longitudinal study is required to access injury rates following intervention and effect duration of the improvements seen.