This thesis presents a demand reduction and responsive strategy for underground mining operations. The thesis starts with a literature review and background research on global energy, coal mining and the energy related issues that the mining industry face everyday. The thesis then goes on to discuss underground mine electrical power systems, data acquisition, load profiling, priority ranking, load shedding and demand side management in mining. Other areas presented in this thesis are existing energy reduction techniques, including: high efficiency motors, motor speed reduction and low energy lighting. During the thesis a data acquisition system was designed and installed at a UK Coal colliery and integrated into the mines existing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. Design and installation problems were overcome with the construction of a test meter and lab installation and testing. A detailed explanation of the system design and installation along with the data analysis of the data from the installed system. A comprehensive load profile and load characterisation system was developed by the author. The load profiling system is comprehensive allows the definition of any type of load profile. These load profiles are fixed, variable and transient load types. The loads output and electrical demand are all taken into consideration. The load characterisation system developed is also very comprehensive. The LC MATRIX is used with the load profiles and the load characteristics to define off-line schedules. A set of unique real-time decision algorithms are also developed by the author to operate the off-line schedules within the desired objective function. MATLAB Simulation is used to developed and test the systems. Results from these test are presented. Application of the developed load profiling and scheduling systems are applied to the data collected from the mine, the results of this and the cost savings are also presented.

Tumour-associated macrophages (TAM) are a major component of the inflammatory infiltrate that typifies most malignancies. Among them, Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL), a high-grade non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of B-cell origin, represents a characteristic example. Studies from our group have shown that TAM in BL exert pivotal roles that are mainly supportive of tumourigenesis such as maintaining an immunosuppressive microenvironment. In order to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying TAM functions in BL, solid tumours from a mouse xenograft model of BL have been used to obtain TAM and assess their activation status in vivo. Laser-capture microdissection has been successfully used to procure intact macrophage sections from the tumour site, allowing the production of a pure, in situ gene expression signature of TAM in BL. Tingible-body Mφ from lymph node germinal-centres and resident tissue Mφ from resting lymph nodes of non-tumour bearing mice were chosen for direct comparison with TAM. Whole-genome microarray technology has revealed a distinct TAM gene expression profile, with 454 genes being significantly up-regulated (fc ≥ 2, p<0.05) and 1293 genes being significantly down-regulated (fc ≤ -2, p<0.05) between TAM and either of the two normal Mφ populations. Further bioinformatics analysis of gene functions has highlighted matrix remodeling, phagocytosis, and immune response among the processes most highly enriched in TAM. Importantly, mRNA and tissue expression of selected differentially expressed genes relevant to these processes was validated by real-time qPCR and immunofluorescence labeling respectively. Following the generation of the TAM profile in situ, in vitro experimental approaches were undertaken in order to investigate how specific elements of the BL microenvironment drive the observed TAM signatures. Specifically, the direct role of apoptotic tumour cells, a key component of the BL microenvironment, versus that of viable tumour cells in driving TAM matrix remodelling gene expression was assessed in short-term mouse and human Mφ-NHL cell co-cultures. From the aforementioned cluster, emphasis was given to MMP12 and MMP2 transcripts: mRNA and protein expression of these MMPs was found to be up-regulated in Mφ following viable tumour cell co-cultures and this effect was further enhanced following apoptotic tumour cell co-cultures, implying that apoptotic NHL cells could directly shape TAM matrix remodeling phenotype in BL in vivo. Whereas the mRNA of both MMPs was solely Mφ-derived in this system, MMP12 and MMP2 protein was surprisingly found also to be increased in NHL cells in the apparent absence of increased mRNA. Detailed examination of MMP12 production by NHL cells revealed that it is most likely an apoptosis-dependent process, since apoptotic NHL cells generated through different apoptosis stimuli, as well as apoptotic cell-derived microparticles, showed markedly increased MMP12 protein levels. In conclusion, the data presented in this thesis, provide the first insight into the in vivo activation status of TAM in high-grade NHL, through generation of the TAM gene signature in situ. Upon further in vitro studies, apoptotic NHL cells were shown to directly modulate the matrix remodelling component of the TAM signature as well as to actively produce matrix remodelling mediators themselves, suggesting distinct roles for tumour cell apoptosis within the NHL microenvironment that can profoundly influence the disease outcome.

With more than 5 billion users globally, mobile devices have become ubiquitous in our daily life. The modern mobile handheld device is capable of providing many multimedia services through a wide range of applications over multiple networks as well as on the handheld device itself. These services are predominantly driven by data, which is increasingly associated with sensitive information. Such a trend raises the security requirement for reliable and robust verification techniques of users.This thesis explores the end-user verification requirements of mobile devices and proposes a novel Behaviour Profiling security framework for mobile devices. The research starts with a critical review of existing mobile technologies, security threats and mechanisms, and highlights a broad range of weaknesses. Therefore, attention is given to biometric verification techniques which have the ability to offer better security. Despite a large number of biometric works carried out in the area of transparent authentication systems (TAS) and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), each have a set of weaknesses that fail to provide a comprehensive solution. They are either reliant upon a specific behaviour to enable the system to function or only capable of providing security for network based services. To this end, the behaviour profiling technique is identified as a potential candidate to provide high level security from both authentication and IDS aspects, operating in a continuous and transparent manner within the mobile host environment.This research examines the feasibility of a behaviour profiling technique through mobile users general applications usage, telephone, text message and multi-instance application usage with the best experimental results Equal Error Rates (EER) of 13.5%, 5.4%, 2.2% and 10% respectively. Based upon this information, a novel architecture of Behaviour Profiling on mobile devices is proposed. The framework is able to provide a robust, continuous and non-intrusive verification mechanism in standalone, TAS or IDS modes, regardless of device hardware configuration. The framework is able to utilise user behaviour to continuously evaluate the system security status of the device. With a high system security level, users are granted with instant access to sensitive services and data, while with lower system security levels, users are required to reassure their identity before accessing sensitive services.The core functions of the novel framework are validated through the implementation of a simulation system. A series of security scenarios are designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the novel framework to verify legitimate and imposter activities. By employing the smoothing function of three applications, verification time of 3 minutes and a time period of 60 minutes of the degradation function, the Behaviour Profiling framework achieved the best performance with False Rejection Rate (FRR) rates of 7.57%, 77% and 11.24% for the normal, protected and overall applications respectively and with False Acceptance Rate (FAR) rates of 3.42%, 15.29% and 4.09% for their counterparts.

The study of root nodule symbiosis between nitrogen-fixing bacteria and leguminous plant species is important because of the ability to supplement fixed nitrogen fertilizers and increase plant growth in poor soils. Our group has isolated a mutant called nip in the model legume Medicago truncatula that is defective in nodule symbiosis. The nip mutant (numerous infections with polyphenolics) becomes infected by Sinorhizobium meliloti but then accumulates polyphenolic defense compounds in the nodule and fails to progress to a stage where nitrogen fixation can occur. Analysis of the transcriptome of nip roots prior to inoculation with rhizobia was undertaken using Affymetric Medicago Genome Array microarrays. The total RNA of 5-day old uninoculated seedlings was analyzed in triplicate to screen for the NIP gene based on downregulated transcript levels in the mutant as compared to wild type. Further microarray data was generated from 10 days post inoculation (dpi) nip and wild type plants. Analysis of the most highly downregulated transcripts revealed that the NIP gene was not identifiable based on transcript level. Putative gene function was assigned to transcripts with altered expression patterns in order to characterize the nip mutation phenotypically as inferred from the transcriptome. Functional analysis revealed a large number of chaperone proteins were highly expressed in the nip mutant, indicating high stress in the mutant prior to infection by rhizobia. Additionally, a database containing the information regarding the nip expression profile at both 0 days post inoculation (dpi) and 10 dpi were created for screening of candidate genes as predicted from sequence in the genomic region containing NIP.

High-throughput sequencing has greatly influenced the amount of data produced and biological questions asked and answered. Sequencing approaches have also enabled rapid development of related technological fields such as single-cell and spatially resolved expression profiling. The introductory parts of this thesis give an overview of the basic molecular and technological apparatus needed to analyse the transcriptome in cells and tissues. This is succeeded by a summary of present investigations that report recent advancements in RNA profiling. RNA integrity needs to be preserved for accurate gene expression analysis. A method providing a low-cost alternative for RNA preservation was reported. Namely, a low concentration of buffered formaldehyde was used for fixation of human cell lines and peripheral blood cells (Paper I). The results from bulk RNA sequencing confirmed gene expression was not negatively impacted with the preservation procedure (r2&gt;0.88) and that long-term storage of such samples was possible (r2=0.95). However, it is important to note that a small population of cells overexpressing a limited amount of genes can skew bulk gene expression analyses making them sufficient only in carefully designed studies. Therefore, gene expression should be investigated at the single cell resolution when possible. A method for high-throughput single cell expression profiling termed microarrayed single-cell sequencing was developed (Paper II). The method incorporated fluorescence-activated cell sorting, sample deposition and profiling of thousands of barcoded single cells in one reaction. After sample attachment to a barcoded array, a high-resolution image was taken which linked the position of each array barcode sequence to each individual deposited cell. The cDNA synthesis efficiency was estimated at 17.3% while detecting 27,427 transcripts per cell on average. Additionally, spatially resolved analysis is important in cell differentiation, organ development and pathological changes. Current methods are limited in terms of throughput, cost and time. For that reason, the spatial transcriptomics method was developed (Paper III). Here, the barcoded microarray was used to obtain spatially resolved expression profiles from tissue sections using the same imaging principle. The mouse olfactory bulb was profiled on a whole-transcriptome scale and the results showed that the expression correlated well (r2=0.94-0.97) as compared to bulk RNA sequencing. The method was 6.9% efficient, reported signal diffusion at ~2 μm and accurately deconvoluted layer-specific transcripts in an unbiased manner. Lastly, the spatial transcriptomics concept was applied to profile human breast tumours in three dimensions (Paper IV). Unbiased clustering revealed previously un-annotated regions and classified them as parts of the immune system, providing a detailed view into complex interactions and crosstalk in the whole tissue volume. Spatial tumour classification divulged that certain parts of the tumour clearly classified as other subtypes as compared to bulk analysis providing useful data for current practice diagnostics. The last part of the thesis discusses a look towards the future, how the presented methods could be used, improved upon or combined in translational research. / <p>QC 20170109</p>

The primary goal of this study was to analyze existing racial profiling data collected and reported by law enforcement agencies in Texas. The internet-based data used was obtained through TCOLE, as it is the state mandated repository in which all law enforcement agencies must submit their annual racial profiling reports to. In analyzing a collection requirement of these reports, this study sought to determine how frequently law enforcement officers know the race or ethnicity of drivers prior to traffic stops. Furthermore, the study sought to determine if there are differences in the rates of race or ethnicity known prior to stops across Texas geographical regions, county population sizes, agency types, as well as between counties with and without interstate thoroughfares. This analysis consisted of 3,250,984 traffic stops conducted by 1,186 law enforcement agencies in 2014. Findings revealed that law enforcement officers rarely know the race or ethnicity of drivers prior to traffic stops, as was consistently found across all measures. Findings and implications are discussed.

In embedded systems, modeling the performance of the candidate processor architectures is very important to enable the designer to estimate the capability of each architecture against the target application. Considering the large number of available embedded processors, the need has increased for building an infrastructure by which it is possible to estimate the performance of a given application on a given processor with a minimum of time and resources. This dissertation presents a framework that employs the softcore MicroBlaze processor as a reference architecture where FPGA-based profiling is implemented to extract the functional statistics that characterize the target application. Linear regression analysis is implemented for mapping the functional statistics of the target application to the performance of the candidate processor architecture. Hence, this approach does not require running the target application on each candidate processor; instead, it is run only on the reference processor which allows testing many processor architectures in very short time.

In the present work we analyze the algorithm that was introduced in [4]. The algorithm performs a translation of a conceptual schema to an XML schema expressed in the XML Schema language. We look for limitations of the algorithm and try to discover parameters that can be potentially used to influence its behavior. We propose solutions to the most serious limitations. Also, we introduce a concept of a translation profiling. The concept is based on a configuration that contains a set of parameters. We modify the algorithm to use the user requirements specified in the configuration. Thanks to the improvements, the new algorithm works with the concept of XML Namespaces, uses XML Schema designs and also, focuses on an elimination of redundancy. The elimination of redundancy in an output of the algorithm is an important part of this work and we create a formal model that helps us to solve this task.

In just forty years, the number of mobile devices has exceeded the number of humans on Earth. With the growing computational capacity, the power demands of these devices are growing rapidly as well. Due to technological and spatial constraints, the capacity of mobile power sources has become one of the most important bottlenecks of further development. Moreover, since the power efficiency is a relatively new requirement, there are only a few tools addressing it, and the existing ones have certain drawbacks. The goal of this thesis is to design and implement a tool helping developers of Android mobile applications to identify the battery-hungry parts of application code. The proposed solution is based on a novel approach - examination of power use estimations derived from the device's state together with the information about the code that is currently being executed. The prototype implementation has been tested on two Android applications with the conclusion that the proposed approach can provide useful information to the developer, but in practice, it encounters technical limitations reducing its accuracy, and thus it can not be used as a fully automated tool for identification of battery-hungry parts of Android application code.

Psychological Profiling of an Offender The purpose of the thesis is to describe and demystify the subject of offender profiling, also called criminal profiling or psychological profiling. Criminal profiling is one of key disciplines of forensic psychology which approximately in the last twenty years became recognized as a helpful investigative tool for resolving difficult criminal cases. The thesis is structured into four chapters, each one covering different aspect of criminal profiling. First chapter defines criminal profiling, its basic premises, formation and history, different approaches to profiling and possible uses of profiling. Second chapter focuses on practical use of criminal profiling. It covers criteria for using profiling in a particular criminal investigation, includes basic information about perpetrators and victims and shortly touches upon computer databases used in profiling. Third chapter covers the actual creation of profile of an unknown offender, from different sources suitable for gathering information to uncovering the offender's motivation and finally to the finished psychological profile. It also includes information about perpetrators of arson, rape and murder, as samples of serious offenses where offender profiling is often applied. Fourth chapter analyses the use of...