The impact of flooding on the value of residential property in the UK

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Flooding of residential property is a real and growing phenomenon in the UK causing short and long-term detriment of various kinds to its victims. The issue of potential decrease in value of those properties which are located on the floodplain, though much discussed in the media, has received scant attention in the UK research literature. An extensive literature survey has revealed a need for methodological innovation in the field of temporal impact of flooding and the inadequacy of the current paradigms for inclusion of insurance into flood modelling. A wide-ranging review of data sources, including discussion with industry experts, has identified the requirement to generate primary data on the availability and cost of flood insurance. A novel framework has been developed for this research. This framework is an extension of the recent research in flood modelling and incorporates ideas from the wider house price analysis literature. Data collected via a questionnaire survey of householders has been combined with secondary data on property prices and flood designation in order to attribute any loss in property value to the correct vector of underlying flood status. The output from this study makes a contribution to the understanding of the impact of flooding on house prices, allowing for better valuation advice. Empirical findings are that the understandable concerns of residential property owners at risk of flooding regarding long term loss of property value are largely unfounded. Price discounts are observed for some recently flooded areas but they are temporary Improved appreciation of the impact of claims and flood risk on the cost of insurance has also emerged. The insurance market was not found to be instrumental in reducing the price of property. The output from the study also makes a methodological contribution in extending concepts relating to the relationship between flooding, insurance and house prices. This development is anticipated to facilitate refinement and updating of the empirical findings with reduced effort in the light of future events

The impact of flooding on the value of residential property in the UK

Flooding of residential property is a real and growing phenomenon in the UK causing short and long-term detriment of various kinds to its victims. The issue of potential decrease in value of those properties which are located on the floodplain, though much discussed in the media, has received scant attention in the UK research literature. An extensive literature survey has revealed a need for methodological innovation in the field of temporal impact of flooding and the inadequacy of the current paradigms for inclusion of insurance into flood modelling. A wide-ranging review of data sources, including discussion with industry experts, has identified the requirement to generate primary data on the availability and cost of flood insurance. A novel framework has been developed for this research. This framework is an extension of the recent research in flood modelling and incorporates ideas from the wider house price analysis literature. Data collected via a questionnaire survey of householders has been combined with secondary data on property prices and flood designation in order to attribute any loss in property value to the correct vector of underlying flood status. The output from this study makes a contribution to the understanding of the impact of flooding on house prices, allowing for better valuation advice. Empirical findings are that the understandable concerns of residential property owners at risk of flooding regarding long term loss of property value are largely unfounded. Price discounts are observed for some recently flooded areas but they are temporary Improved appreciation of the impact of claims and flood risk on the cost of insurance has also emerged. The insurance market was not found to be instrumental in reducing the price of property. The output from the study also makes a methodological contribution in extending concepts relating to the relationship between flooding, insurance and house prices. This development is anticipated to facilitate refinement and updating of the empirical findings with reduced effort in the light of future events.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Proteomic and functional comparison between human induced and embryonic stem cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have great potential to be used as alternatives to embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in regenerative medicine and disease modelling, thereby avoiding ethical issues arising from the use of embryo-derived cells. However, despite clear similarities between the two cell types, it is likely they are not identical. In this study we characterise the proteomes of multiple hiPSC and hESC lines derived from independent donors. We find that while hESCs and hiPSCs express a near identical set of proteins, they show consistent quantitative differences in the expression levels of a wide subset of proteins. hiPSCs have increased total protein content, while maintaining a comparable cell cycle profile to hESCs. The proteomic data show hiPSCs have significantly increased abundance of vital cytoplasmic and mitochondrial proteins required to sustain high growth rates, including nutrient transporters and metabolic proteins, which correlated with phenotypic differences between hiPSCs and hESCs. Thus, higher levels of glutamine transporters correlated with increased glutamine uptake, while higher levels of proteins involved in lipid synthesis correlated with increased lipid droplet formation. Some of the biggest metabolic changes were seen in proteins involved in mitochondrial metabolism, with corresponding enhanced mitochondrial potential, shown experimentally using high-resolution respirometry. hiPSCs also produced higher levels of secreted proteins including ECM components and growth factors, some with known tumorigenic properties as well as proteins involved in the inhibition of the immune system. Our data indicate that reprogramming of human fibroblasts to iPSCs effectively restores protein expression in cell nuclei to a similar state to hESCs, but does not similarly restore the profile of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial proteins, with consequences for cell phenotypes affecting growth and metabolism. The data improve understanding of the molecular differences between induced and embryonic stem cells with implications for potential risks and benefits for their use in future disease modelling and therapeutic applications.<br/

Proteomic and functional comparison between human induced and embryonic stem cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have great potential to be used as alternatives to embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in regenerative medicine and disease modelling, thereby avoiding ethical issues arising from the use of embryo-derived cells. However, despite clear similarities between the two cell types, it is likely they are not identical. In this study we characterise the proteomes of multiple hiPSC and hESC lines derived from independent donors. We find that while hESCs and hiPSCs express a near identical set of proteins, they show consistent quantitative differences in the expression levels of a wide subset of proteins. hiPSCs have increased total protein content, while maintaining a comparable cell cycle profile to hESCs. The proteomic data show hiPSCs have significantly increased abundance of vital cytoplasmic and mitochondrial proteins required to sustain high growth rates, including nutrient transporters and metabolic proteins, which correlated with phenotypic differences between hiPSCs and hESCs. Thus, higher levels of glutamine transporters correlated with increased glutamine uptake, while higher levels of proteins involved in lipid synthesis correlated with increased lipid droplet formation. Some of the biggest metabolic changes were seen in proteins involved in mitochondrial metabolism, with corresponding enhanced mitochondrial potential, shown experimentally using high-resolution respirometry. hiPSCs also produced higher levels of secreted proteins including ECM components and growth factors, some with known tumorigenic properties as well as proteins involved in the inhibition of the immune system. Our data indicate that reprogramming of human fibroblasts to iPSCs effectively restores protein expression in cell nuclei to a similar state to hESCs, but does not similarly restore the profile of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial proteins, with consequences for cell phenotypes affecting growth and metabolism. The data improve understanding of the molecular differences between induced and embryonic stem cells with implications for potential risks and benefits for their use in future disease modelling and therapeutic applications.<br/

Proteomic and functional comparison between human induced and embryonic stem cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have great potential to be used as alternatives to embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in regenerative medicine and disease modelling, thereby avoiding ethical issues arising from the use of embryo-derived cells. However, despite clear similarities between the two cell types, it is likely they are not identical. In this study we characterise the proteomes of multiple hiPSC and hESC lines derived from independent donors. We find that while hESCs and hiPSCs express a near identical set of proteins, they show consistent quantitative differences in the expression levels of a wide subset of proteins. hiPSCs have increased total protein content, while maintaining a comparable cell cycle profile to hESCs. The proteomic data show hiPSCs have significantly increased abundance of vital cytoplasmic and mitochondrial proteins required to sustain high growth rates, including nutrient transporters and metabolic proteins, which correlated with phenotypic differences between hiPSCs and hESCs. Thus, higher levels of glutamine transporters correlated with increased glutamine uptake, while higher levels of proteins involved in lipid synthesis correlated with increased lipid droplet formation. Some of the biggest metabolic changes were seen in proteins involved in mitochondrial metabolism, with corresponding enhanced mitochondrial potential, shown experimentally using high-resolution respirometry. hiPSCs also produced higher levels of secreted proteins including ECM components and growth factors, some with known tumorigenic properties as well as proteins involved in the inhibition of the immune system. Our data indicate that reprogramming of human fibroblasts to iPSCs effectively restores protein expression in cell nuclei to a similar state to hESCs, but does not similarly restore the profile of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial proteins, with consequences for cell phenotypes affecting growth and metabolism. The data improve understanding of the molecular differences between induced and embryonic stem cells with implications for potential risks and benefits for their use in future disease modelling and therapeutic applications.<br/

Flood risk insurance, mitigation and commercial property valuation

© 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand how built environment professionals approach the valuation of flood risk in commercial property markets and whether insurance promotes mitigation in different insurance and risk management regimes, draw common conclusions and highlight opportunities to transfer learning. Design/methodology/approach: An illustrative case study approach involving literature search and 72 interviews with built environment professionals, across five countries in four continents. Findings: Common difficulties arise in availability, reliability and interpretation of risk information, and in evaluating the impact of mitigation. These factors, coupled with the heterogeneous nature of commercial property, lack of transactional data and remote investors, make valuation of risk particularly challenging in the sector. Insurance incentives for risk mitigation are somewhat effective where employed and could be further developed, however, the influence of insurance is hampered by lack of insurance penetration and underinsurance. Research limitations/implications: Further investigation of the means to improve uptake of insurance and to develop insurance incentives for mitigation is recommended. Practical implications: Flood risk is inconsistently reflected in commercial property values leading to lack of mitigation and vulnerability of investments to future flooding. Improvements are needed in: access to adequate risk information; professional skills in valuing risk; guidance on valuation of flood risk; and regulation to ensure adequate consideration of risk and mitigation options. Originality/value: The research addresses a global issue that threatens local, and regional economies through loss of utility, business profitability and commercial property value. It is unique in consulting professionals across international markets

An exploration of factors affecting the long term psychological impact and deterioration of mental health in flooded households

The long term psychological effect of the distress and trauma caused by the memory of damage and losses associated with flooding of communities remains an under researched impact of flooding. This is particularly important for communities that are likely to be repeatedly flooded where levels of mental health disorder will damage long term resilience to future flooding.There are a variety of factors that affect the prevalence of mental health disorders in the aftermath of flooding including pre-existing mental health, socio-economic factors and flood severity. However previous research has tended to focus on the short term impacts immediately following the flood event and much less focus has been given to the longer terms effects of flooding. Understanding of factors affecting the longer term mental health outcomes for flooded households is critical in order to support communities in improving social resilience. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore the characteristics associated with psychological distress and mental health deterioration over the longer term.The research examined responses from a postal survey of households flooded during the 2007 flood event across England. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and binomial logistic regression were applied to data representing household characteristics, flood event characteristics and post-flood stressors and coping strategies. These factors were related to reported measures of stress, anxiety, depression and mental health deterioration. The results showed that household income, depth of flooding; having to move out during reinstatement and mitigating actions are related to the prevalence of psycho-social symptoms in previously flooded households. In particular relocation and household income were the most predictive factors. The practical implication of these findings for recovery after flooding are: to consider the preferences of households in terms of the need to move out during restorative building works and the financial resource constraints that may lead to severe mental hardship. In addition the findings suggest that support with installing mitigation measures may lead to improved mental health outcomes for communities at risk

The Use of Probeware to Improve Learning Outcomes in Middle School Science: A Mixed Methods Case Study

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call upon K-12 science teachers to provide authentic science and engineering practices which deepen understanding of core ideas and crosscutting concepts (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Probeware technology provides exposure to these scientific practices; however, there is a disconnect between the frequency of teacher probeware use and these current mandates. Additional research is needed to study how probeware is used to improve learning outcomes. This descriptive mixed method case study focused on the pedagogical practices of middle school science teachers in one department, identified conditions of deep learning in probeware lessons and examined whether probeware creates a learning advantage on a state science assessment. The qualitative findings of this case study indicate that probeware provides an affordance over traditional lab equipment and allows more time for deep learning as shown in the artifacts of instruction and teacher narrative. Quantitative methods were used to compare student performance scores on the 2016 8th Grade Science Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA): this metric allowed for the comparison in performance between students of the participating teachers who use probeware (n = 349) and students in the same district who do not use probeware (n = 332). An attempt was made to control socioeconomic and demographic variables to make a valid comparison between students exposed to the same curriculum from two middle schools within the same district. The employed methodology was the first of its kind to correlate student use of probeware technology to performance on specific sections of a state-wide science assessment. This study found that students who use probeware had slightly higher mean scores in the Nature of Science reporting category and its three sub-sections; however, statistical differences were revealed in only one sub-section: Reasoning & Analysis. This is the section where students are required to explain, interpret and apply knowledge presented in graphical form. These findings are relevant because they suggest that the use of probeware provided a learning advantage on questions requiring an understanding of graphs. Statistical differences in mean scores were also noted in the Physical Science and Biology reporting categories, while no statistical differences were recorded in the Earth & Space reporting category. The results of this case study benefit science teachers, science supervisors, curriculum developers, and researchers who are tasked with aligning curricula to the NGSS. The correlation between the use of probeware and higher student performance scores supports the inclusion of this technology in elementary and secondary science

Cholera Outbreak Guidelines: Preparedness, prevention and control

This guide brings together lessons learned from Oxfam’s past interventions in the prevention and control of cholera, and other related guidance. The aim is to provide a quick, step-by-step guide to inform cholera outbreak interventions.Buuggan oo hago ah waxaa ku aruursan dhowr khibradood oo laga soo saaray hawlihii ay horay uga qabatay Oxfam xagga kahortagga iyo xakamaynta cudurka daacuunka. Ujeeddaduna waa sidii loo heli lahaa hogatus la raaco sidii wax looga qaban lahaa markii la arko dacuun safmar ah.Questa guida riunisce una serie di insegnamenti tratti dagli interventi effettuati in passato da Oxfam per la prevenzione e il controllo del colera, insieme ad altre linee guida. L'obiettivo è quello di fornire una guida pratica per gli interventi nelle epidemie di colera