No description available.

During the second half of this century the institutions exercising the greatest influence upon rural land users over Scotland as a whole have been the agriculture Department (under various titles), the Forestry Commission, the Nature Conservancy/Nature Conservancy Council and the Countryside Commission for Scotland. The three latter institutions may be described as "quangos" (hereafter called "agencies") i.e. centrally-funded public bodies, but having a chairman and a board of management appointed from outwith government. In April 1992 the three agencies were radically reconstructed. The changes were described as having been made in response to criticism - not least in Scotland - of their structure and performance. It therefore seems timely to assess the record and effectiveness of the agencies in relation to Scotland, where both afforestation and nature conservation have had significant effects on land use. The method adopted is, first, to review the constitutional status and role of agencies in the UK, and the place of the land use agencies. Next, each of the three agencies is examined on its own, in terms of its historical origins, evolution and performance, particularly in relation to Scotland; its organisational structure; its efficiency and effectiveness as perceived by various observers; and its relationship with its "client" or interest group. Finally, the significance and achievement of the agencies - both individually and in combination - are appraised in relation to Scotland. It is concluded that they have fallen down on the <I>custodial</I> side of their terms of reference, i.e. their responsibility for the environment of rural Scotland. An explanation of the shortcomings of the agencies is sought in their institutional structure. A more coherent structure of agencies, aimed at curing the ills diagnosed, is suggested.

The medical uses of ultrasound for both diagnosis and therapy require a detailed knowledge of the interaction of ultrasound with the tissues. This will allow safety levels to be set and indicate any possible source of hazard. The interactions of ultrasound with tissue are usually divided into three catagories: thermal, cavitation phenomena, and direct action. Much work has been done to show the levels of intensity and the irradiation times which give rise to damage due to thermal and cavitational effects, but the interactions grouped under the term direct action are less well understood. To investigate the direct effects of ultrasound an irradiation system is required in which both the source of the ultrasound and the living system being irradiated can be monitored accurately. The simplest system with which this is possible is the irradiation of some form of cell suspension in a continuous wave ultrasound field. Cell cultures are simpler to use than whole animals and therefore allow better controlled experiments to be performed which result in more accurate quantitative results. Dosimetry of ultrasound is simplest in a continuous wave field. It is possible to make accurate, reproducible measurements of the intensity distribution at the positions where the irradiations are performed. This is important for relating effects to the intensities to which the cells are exposed. Initial work in this thesis was performed on cells suspended in a liquid medium. Clonogenic survival was used to check for any lethal effects of the ultrasound. In this situation the cells are free to move during irradiation which results in some degree of averaging of the intensities present over the whole sample of cells. Also, as it is only possible to measure survival in terms of the effect on the contents of each chamber as a whole, changes resulting from only the highest intensities in the ultrasound beam would not show as a significant alteration in the general level of survival. The results of these experiments showed no effect of ultrasound on clonogenic survival. The second area of research was with suspensions of cells in medium stiffened with agar. In these experiments the cells were mixed with the agar medium and placed in large chambers in which they would be able to grow for a period of at least two weeks. The principle of the experiments was to irradiate the cells in the agar medium and then monitor the growth of colonies in situ after a period of 10-14 days. As the cells are unable to move during or after irradiation, survival at each point across the chamber can be related directly to the intensity at that point. This is probably the only system likely to produce survival curves against actual intensity with presently available ultrasound sources. Also, results from this system may be easier to confirm as they should be reasonably independent of the intensity distribution of the ultrasound source used. Irradiations were performed at a range of intensities in an attempt to obtain a significant effect of ultrasound. No measurable reduction in clonogenic survival was found in any of these experiments. To try and enhance any effect that might be present hyperthermia was applied at the same time as the ultrasound, in a further series of experiments. These showed a significant effect due to the ultrasound, but the measured drop in survival was approximately that which would be expected from heating due to absorbtion of ultrasound alone. This further confirms the absence of any lethal effect of the direct action of ultrasound.

This study adopts the theoretical framework of structure and agency institutionalism to analyse the private urban residential development process (URDP) from policy formulation through to consumption, from the perspective of the individual household developer in a case study of the Tamale Municipal Assembly (TMA) in northern Ghana. The various theoretical frameworks for analysing land and housing development processes are reviewed. Traditional models are found to be unsuitable for adequately explaining the customary land tenure system as a constraint in the self-build URDP in the TMA. As a result, this research relies on an institutional approach to study the transformation occurring in communal land ownership. The use of structure and agency institutionalism in the study reveals that a wide spectrum of agents (actors) are involved in the private URDP in Tamale. The process itself is not only embedded within but is taking place against a background defined by a combination of economic, social, political and institutional environments. This contextual mix is observed to provide the formal and informal institutions, regulations and resources for all the agents, with profound implications for urban housing development, particularly with regard to land tenure conversion. The study reveals the complex web of agency and power relations that are being excerised in this arena, with the result that it is difficult to separate agents' attitudes from policy, especially at the formal institutional level. Contrary to popular belief, this study finds that the customary land tenure system, as it now operates in the study area, constitutes no real hindrance to the self-build developer with regard to land access. The economic and social changes taking place have engendered the transformation of societal attitudes resulting in the birth of a market for housing land. An oligopolistic class of capitalist landlords represented by the chiefs has evolved and while this could lead to the exclusion of the poor from access to land, those with the means, whether local or non-local people, can and do buy land from this new class of capitalist land holders. In relative terms, availability of finance, the cumbersome documentation procedures and lack of infrastructure are the principal difficulties faced by the household developer. Based on the key findings and problems faced by the self-build developer, the study suggests that rather than radical and unpopular reform of the customary land tenure system, the evolutionary changes taking place should be supported, while putting in place policy measures to address the issue of redistribution of the financial gains the chiefs make from land sales, the availability of finance and other constraints faced by the self-build developer. Although the study does not offer a blue print for solving the housing problem, it does propose through structure and agency institutionalism, an alternative approach which suggests a holistic analysis capable of enhancing comprehension of the problem, for therein lies the first steps towards its resolution.

This research examines the main elements which constitute the 'rural transport problem'. The work focuses on what appears to be a key issue for local government---establishing the level and nature for local public transport. Two possible approaches to the measurement of accessibility need, recently used by an English and a Welsh local authority, are applied to 4 case study areas in Scotland. Each study area has undergone significant service losses as a result of a major bus company rationalisation programme---the Scottish Bus Group's SCOTMAP exercise. A measure of the impact of these losses, in accessibility terms is attempted and a critical evaluation is made of the methodologies used to calculate this. The analysis presented was completed before the 1985 Transport Act created a new financial and legislative environment in local bus service provision. The Act has significantly altered the role of the regional councils in securing public transport services. These changes accompany deregulation of local bus services and a return to free-market competition between bus operators. The final section of this research considers the enhanced role for needs evaluation as part of the planned subsidy allocation procedure administered by local government for socially necessary (but non-commercial) arms of the bus networks. A number of recommendations are made, based upon the case studies with the aim of gearing a needs-based method to the Scottish context. It is concluded that whilst problems must be overcome, the analysis of needs has an important potential role in the deregulation context.

No description available.

No description available.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

No description available.

This research focuses on the reconstruction of war-damaged villages in Lebanon destroyed during the recent civil war (1975-1991). Its main aim is to understand the complexity of reconstruction through a detailed case study of one village namely; al-Burjain. In contrast to top down approaches to reconstruction, this study presents an approach which extends beyond looking at physical aspects to socio-economic, cultural and political issues. It also attempts to gain insights into the conditions of the community prior to disaster, as well as the new situation which emerged after the destruction of the village. It develops an understanding of the conditions of the people, and their needs and perceptions about reconstruction. The research takes a qualitative approach because of its flexibility and appropriateness to the inquiry and practical conditions in the field. It is based on dynamic and interactive discussions with the community under study. Three methods are employed: discussion with key figures, detailed family case histories and a survey using semi-structured interviews of households. They reflect different degrees of focus on complexity of reconstruction and the conditions of the people. The village case study (micro) is discussed and evaluated in three contexts (macro). Firstly, it deals with the context of reconstruction after disaster in theoretical and conceptual terms and with reference to practical experiences (Algeria and Iran). Secondly, it is located within the conditions of the country in which there are increased channels of contacts and communications between rural and urban areas. Thirdly, it discusses the development of rural areas in Lebanon from traditional times to the beginning of the war in order to draw lessons and to identify problems, possibilities and obstacles which could be helpful in planning for meaningful reconstruction. The findings of the research cover two main part. The first part establishes principles and recommendations for the reconstruction of the vifiage studied. In this sense, it translates the insights gained into practical solutions. It proposes a way of capitalising on people's initiatives, maximizing the use of available resources, to solve existing problems and improve conditions. It is a developmental process. The second part draws an analytical framework which can be used to study similar cases. This framework is a generalised basis upon which the issues related to the complexity of post-disaster reconstruction can be examined and dealt with. Finally, this research formulates theoretical perspectives which will inform professional intervention and decision making in reconstruction after disaster.