Implementing environmental policy in Scotland: an analysis of water pollution regulation and government support for the voluntary environmental sector.

This thesis presents an empirical analysis of the implementation of environmental policy in Scotland as undertaken through the use of specific regulatory and distributive policy instruments. In particular, it examines the implementation of regulatory water pollution control policy by one of Scotland's former River Purification Boards (RPBs) through the policy instrument of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 (COPA 1974). The thesis also examines The Scottish Office's implementation of distributive environmental policy towards the voluntary environmental sector through the policy instrument of the Special Grants Environmental Programme (SGEP). The study reviews the main themes of the literature on public policy implementation and applies five specific variables (arising from that review) to the empirical case-study findings contained within the thesis, in relation to the implementation of the above policies. From the analysis of empirical data, it is argued that the implementation of the case-study River Purification Board's regulatory environmental policy was becoming progressively more formalised during the early 1990s. Factors - both internal and external to the case-study RPB - which contributed to this increased level of formality are identified and discussed. From the analysis of empirical data, the thesis further argues that the implementation of The Scottish Office's distributive environmental policy was also being placed on a more formal footing during the early 1990s. It is contended that a fundamental reason for the formalisation of the implementation process in this policy context related to the Conservative Government's broad policy objective of rationalising its funding of the voluntary sector in general. On the basis of the empirical case-study findings, in relation to both the regulatory and distributive environmental policies, the thesis concludes that there is no one 'best' way to implement public policy. Instead, it is argued that measures of public policy implementation success are contingent upon the particular constellation of the identified variables within the context of the specific policy being studied

End of British rule in South Arabia, 1959-1967

This thesis analyses British policy in the final years of colonial rule in Aden and the Aden Protectorate (South Arabia), the period 1959 to 1967. This work deals first with the first century of British rule in Aden, from the capture of the port in 1839 until the end of the Second World War in 1945, examining the role of the Colony in British overseas policy. Secondly, the thesis gives the international and regional background to the period in question by giving a summary of British overseas policy, the Cold War and the Arab Cold War in the period 1945 to 1967. Thirdly, it tackles the history of colonial rule between 1945 and 1959, covering the increasing value of Aden to British defence policy in the Middle East, as well as the creation of a Federation among the local rulers in an attempt to bolster Britain's closest allies in South Arabia. The fourth point of the thesis is the examination of British defence policy, 1959 to 1963, which saw the military base in Aden become vital to London's overseas policy. This period saw Aden merge with the Federation, against a background of opposition from Arab Nationalists, in an attempt to secure British interests. Fifthly, the thesis analyses the gradual loss of British control over events in Aden and the Federation as the Arab Nationalist campaign became increasingly effective. The British Government finally decided to grant independence to appease the opposition, but retain the base for the defence of Britain's overseas interests. The thesis then attempts to chart the rise of the eventual victors in the conflict, the 'Marxist' National Liberation Front and its rivalry with other Arab Nationalist groups. Finally, the thesis examines the final period of British rule in Aden, from the Defence White Paper of February 1966, when the decision was taken to cut many of Britain's overseas commitments, including the base in Aden, to the withdrawal of November 1967. This period saw the disintegration of the Federation and the inability of the British to prevent the Nationalists taking power. The thesis concludes that towards the end of colonial rule, British policy in South Arabia was incoherent and suffered from division among the different Government departments. Furthermore, the inability to protect the Federation effectively enabled the Nationalists to undermine Britain's only allies in the Protectorate

Novel titanium alkylidenes and their application in the synthesis of indoles and quinolines

Summary available on p. IV

An experimental approach to analysing rain droplet impingement on wind turbine blade materials

Leading edge erosion of wind turbine blades is an important issue within the industry and has been found to have a substantial impact on the annual energy output of generators. This forces operators to make blade repair a necessity, adding to the operation and maintenance costs of a project. A wind turbine’s tip speed can in some cases have an upper limit based on the erosion exhibited on the leading edge. This paper explores the variables of rainfall rate and impact velocity of the impinging droplets in an attempt to explore the recovery time of the tri-axial composite material used. It is shown that an increase in impact velocity results in a higher mass loss than an increase in the rainflow rate. Analysis using a scanning electron microscope reveals that pin holes in the laminate surface are exploited by the droplets, acting as initiation point for erosion of the composite. Overall the results suggest that the tip speed of the wind turbine blade is of greater importance when compared to the relevant rainfall conditions as to where the wind turbine is situated

An easy to use tool for the analysis of subcellular mRNA transcript colocalisation in smFISH data

Single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH) has become a valuable tool to investigate the mRNA expression of single cells. However, it requires a considerable amount of programming expertise to use currently available open-source analytical software packages to extract and analyse quantitative data about transcript expression. Here, we present FISHtoFigure, a new software tool developed specifically for the analysis of mRNA abundance and co-expression in QuPath-quantified, multi-labelled smFISH data. FISHtoFigure facilitates the automated spatial analysis of transcripts of interest, allowing users to analyse populations of cells positive for specific combinations of mRNA targets without the need for computational image analysis expertise. As a proof of concept and to demonstrate the capabilities of this new research tool, we have validated FISHtoFigure in multiple biological systems. We used FISHtoFigure to identify an upregulation in the expression of Cd4 by T-cells in the spleens of mice infected with influenza A virus, before analysing more complex data showing crosstalk between microglia and regulatory B-cells in the brains of mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. These analyses demonstrate the ease of analysing cell expression profiles using FISHtoFigure and the value of this new tool in the field of smFISH data analysis

An easy to use tool for the analysis of subcellular mRNA transcript colocalisation in smFISH data

Single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH) has become a valuable tool to investigate the mRNA expression of single cells. However, it requires a considerable amount of programming expertise to use currently available open-source analytical software packages to extract and analyse quantitative data about transcript expression. Here, we present FISHtoFigure, a new software tool developed specifically for the analysis of mRNA abundance and co-expression in QuPath-quantified, multi-labelled smFISH data. FISHtoFigure facilitates the automated spatial analysis of transcripts of interest, allowing users to analyse populations of cells positive for specific combinations of mRNA targets without the need for computational image analysis expertise. As a proof of concept and to demonstrate the capabilities of this new research tool, we have validated FISHtoFigure in multiple biological systems. We used FISHtoFigure to identify an upregulation in the expression of Cd4 by T-cells in the spleens of mice infected with influenza A virus, before analysing more complex data showing crosstalk between microglia and regulatory B-cells in the brains of mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. These analyses demonstrate the ease of analysing cell expression profiles using FISHtoFigure and the value of this new tool in the field of smFISH data analysis

Single cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses reveal microglia-plasma cell crosstalk in the brain during Trypanosoma brucei infection

Human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei and induces profound reactivity of glial cells and neuroinflammation when the parasites colonise the central nervous system. However, the transcriptional and functional responses of the brain to chronic T. brucei infection remain poorly understood. By integrating single cell and spatial transcriptomics of the mouse brain, we identify that glial responses triggered by infection are readily detected in the proximity to the circumventricular organs, including the lateral and 3rd ventricle. This coincides with the spatial localisation of both slender and stumpy forms of T. brucei. Furthermore, in silico predictions and functional validations led us to identify a previously unknown crosstalk between homeostatic microglia and Cd138+ plasma cells mediated by IL-10 and B cell activating factor (BAFF) signalling. This study provides important insights and resources to improve understanding of the molecular and cellular responses in the brain during infection with African trypanosomes

Incidence and phenotypes of childhood-onset genetic epilepsies:a prospective population-based national cohort

Epilepsy is common in early childhood. In this age group it is associated with high rates of therapy-resistance, and with cognitive, motor, and behavioural comorbidity. A large number of genes, with wide ranging functions, are implicated in its aetiology, especially in those with therapy-resistant seizures. Identifying the more common single-gene epilepsies will aid in targeting resources, the prioritization of diagnostic testing and development of precision therapy. Previous studies of genetic testing in epilepsy have not been prospective and population-based. Therefore, the population-incidence of common genetic epilepsies remains unknown. The objective of this study was to describe the incidence and phenotypic spectrum of the most common single-gene epilepsies in young children, and to calculate what proportion are amenable to precision therapy. This was a prospective national epidemiological cohort study. All children presenting with epilepsy before 36 months of age were eligible. Children presenting with recurrent prolonged (>10 min) febrile seizures; febrile or afebrile status epilepticus (>30 min); or with clusters of two or more febrile or afebrile seizures within a 24-h period were also eligible. Participants were recruited from all 20 regional paediatric departments and four tertiary children’s hospitals in Scotland over a 3-year period. DNA samples were tested on a custom-designed 104-gene epilepsy panel. Detailed clinical information was systematically gathered at initial presentation and during follow-up. Clinical and genetic data were reviewed by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and genetic scientists. The pathogenic significance of the genetic variants was assessed in accordance with the guidelines of UK Association of Clinical Genetic Science (ACGS). Of the 343 patients who met inclusion criteria, 333 completed genetic testing, and 80/333 (24%) had a diagnostic genetic finding. The overall estimated annual incidence of single-gene epilepsies in this well-defined population was 1 per 2120 live births (47.2/100 000; 95% confidence interval 36.9–57.5). PRRT2 was the most common single-gene epilepsy with an incidence of 1 per 9970 live births (10.0/100 000; 95% confidence interval 5.26–14.8) followed by SCN1A: 1 per 12 200 (8.26/100 000; 95% confidence interval 3.93–12.6); KCNQ2: 1 per 17 000 (5.89/100 000; 95% confidence interval 2.24–9.56) and SLC2A1: 1 per 24 300 (4.13/100 000; 95% confidence interval 1.07–7.19). Presentation before the age of 6 months, and presentation with afebrile focal seizures were significantly associated with genetic diagnosis. Single-gene disorders accounted for a quarter of the seizure disorders in this cohort. Genetic testing is recommended to identify children who may benefit from precision treatment and should be mainstream practice in early childhood onset epilepsy