Investigating the impact of the legal system on outcomes for infants in care

Abstract not currently available

Sworn to protect, left unprotected: a mixed-methods exploration of the gendered toll of policing on women’s health and well-being

Abstract not currently available

Understanding the role of integrated grip strength, physical activity, diet, and adiposity-related body composition in the development of type 2 diabetes: insights from the UK Biobank cohort

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease risk and global mortality. T2D develops through complex biological pathways influenced by modifiable lifestyle behaviours and sociodemographic context. Accordingly, this thesis explores the relationship between traditional and emerging cardiometabolic risk factors, such as grip strength, physical activity (PA), dietary patterns, and obesity-related indicators, with the incidence of T2D. This research uses data from the UK Biobank, a large-scale population-based prospective study encompassing over 500,000 participants from across the UK. Dietary exposures were self-reported, while PA was objectively quantified using wrist-worn accelerometers. Grip strength was assessed using a hand dynamometer, and obesity-related indicators were derived from anthropometric measurements taken by trained personnel. The incidence of T2D was obtained from primary care and hospital records. Cohort analyses were conducted using harmonised methods across exposures, including multivariable Cox regression, subgroup analysis, and mediation modelling. The findings of this thesis reveal that lower absolute or relative (kg, or kg/body mass) grip strength is linked with an increased risk of developing T2D in both women and men, compared to those with normal grip strength. Notably, relative grip strength exhibits a more pronounced association with T2D risk than absolute grip strength (12% for men and 20% for women vs. 11% for men and 12% for women). Furthermore, low grip strength may serve as an early indicator of heightened T2D risk. In terms of PA, adherence to the WHO’s PA guidelines, as measured by accelerometers, is associated with a reduced risk of T2D (50%-70% depending on intensity and time spent). The magnitude of these associations is significantly greater than those reported in previous studies based on self-reported PA. Dietary analysis indicates that fish eaters (pesco-vegetarians) and those consuming fish and poultry have a lower risk of T2D (42% and 28%, respectively) compared to omnivores, while vegetarian diets show no significant association. This discrepancy may be due to a poor quality of diet, underreporting, or misclassification. Additionally, among 11 obesity-related markers evaluated for T2D risk prediction, 9 demonstrate an association, with the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) showing the strongest predictive value, which could potentially benefit clinical screening practices. Sociodemographic factors, such as sex, age, and ethnicity, modified both exposure levels and T2D risk. These findings offer new insights into the roles of both emerging and established risk factors for T2D, supporting the existence of a shared biological pathway in which poor diet, low muscle strength, and physical inactivity contribute to central adiposity, systemic inflammation, and muscle insulin resistance. These interrelated exposures act synergistically, often beyond what is captured by body mass index-based models, to drive the development of T2D. Integrated prevention strategies should therefore address behavioural, physiological, and sociodemographic dimensions to effectively reduce the burden of T2D. Among the behavioural and phenotypical factors investigated, central adiposity, particularly WHtR, emerged as one of the strongest risk factors for T2D. However, caution is warranted when interpreting these results due to the observational nature of the study, which limits causal inference. Future research should focus on clarifying the potential causal relationships underlying these associations

Investigating the role of gap junction protein and novel genes in renal function

This thesis investigates the roles of genes with enriched expression in particular cells or regions of the Drosophila melanogaster Malpighian tubules in renal function and cellular homeostasis. Using reverse genetic, transcriptomic and metabolomic techniques, this study characterises the physiological role of Innexin 2, Innexin 7, the octopamine receptor Octα2R and the novel gene CG6602. These findings highlight the power of the Malpighian tubules as a model system for studying gene function in relation to osmoregulation, ion transport, and responses to stress. Initial studies characterised the gap junction proteins Innexin 2 and Innexin 7 to the principal cells of the tubules but found no strong impact of fluid secretion after RNAi knockdown. By contrast, Octα2R analysis revealed a specific role in secretion: reductions of Octα2R in stellate cells decreased the rate of secretion, and tubule secretion was found to be especially sensitive to octopamine compared with other biogenic amines. Further studies focused on CG6602, which is tubule-specific and might contribute to stress response pathways. Collectively, the knockdown of CG6602 resulted in altered expression of stress response genes, which implies possible involvement of CG6602 in pathways related to the maintenance of homeostasis of the cell. Metabolomic profiling confirmed this view, detecting changes in metabolites including those associated with oxidative stress defence, suggesting that CG6602's regulatory role in managing metabolic and environmental stress in the tubule cells. This study highlights the power of performing renal physiology studies in the fruit fly and begin to shed light on the molecular players responsible for maintaining tubule homeostasis. Due to the limitations of the analytical methods applied in this study, a more detailed exploration of the metabolomic data was not possible but the study provides a framework to connect state-of-the-art metabolomics with multi-omics approaches in future. It also adds to knowledge about the roles of gap junction proteins and the unique gene CG6602 in the renal system, and the genetic and metabolic networks involved in supporting renal function and stress responses

Addressing challenges in food allergy and anaphylaxis preparedness in Scottish schools

Abstract not currently available

Functional characterisation of a male germ cell-associated kinase orthologue (MAK) in the kinetoplastid cell cycle

Abstract not currently available

Cultivating geographies: indigeneity, development planning, and decoloniality in Malawi’s agriculture

Abstract not currently available

Analysis of sustainable socio-technical transition - unpacking the development of the NEV sector from the early 2000s through an innovative conceptual framework

This research investigates the significant growth of China’s New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sector from the early 2000s to the 2020s, evolving from a niche market to a central player in the automotive industry. While previous studies have focused mainly on singular factors, such as policy impacts, this study introduces the Global, Internal, and External Sociotechnical System (GIESTS) Framework, an advanced adaptation of the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP), to analyse China’s NEV transition comprehensively through providing a multidimensional view of China’s electrification journey. Additionally, the study introduces the Resources-Capabilities Analytics (RCA) Framework to examine firm-level transitions, drawing on the resource-based view and dynamic capability theory. This framework allows for comparisons between different types of automakers, offering more profound insights into how firms navigate the NEV sector’s challenges and opportunities. Using a mixed-methods approach, combining secondary data analysis, participatory observation, and expert interviews, the research explores the roles of key stakeholders, transition pathways, and how China’s government’s role compares to that of developed countries. It also examines interactions between various transition layers using the GIESTS Framework, revealing how the various factors have influenced the sector’s growth. The findings provide strategic insights for policymakers and industry leaders, proposing a systematic methodology for understanding complex transitions in socio-technical systems. This thesis significantly contributes to scholarly discussions on socio-technical transitions and offers a valuable guide for stakeholders involved in the ongoing transformation of the NEV industry

Absorption studies of thin-film and silicon materials for cryogenic gravitational wave detectors

No abstract available

Exploring the contribution of psychology in the self-management of pulmonary hypertension

Abstract available at each chapter