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It was recently discovered that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating. Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) were crucial for this discovery and to constrain cosmological parameters. Current and upcoming large time-domain surveys will revolutionise the field by discovering at least one order of magnitude more SNe than the currently available datasets, which will lead to tighter cosmological parameter constraints. However, these surveys will also bring challenges due to the volume of data they observe. Thus, we require new methods to analyse, understand, and extract cosmological constraints from the data. In particular, the upcoming Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) must rely on photometric classification to identify the observed SNe, instead of the traditional spectroscopic confirmation. In this thesis, we develop a methodology to perform this photometric classification based on dataset augmentation, wavelet features, and a machine learning classifier. Specifically, we find that augmenting the training set to make its features similar to the dataset we want to classify is crucial. Next, we use our methodology to measure the impact of the LSST observing strategy in photometric classification; this work contributes towards the community-focused optimisation of the observing strategy. Since the above work used simulated data, we next set a benchmark for the classification performance of our approach using the Zwicky Transient Facility real data; this is a precursor survey to LSST. Finally, we present a proof-of-concept of a neural network to predict lensed SN Ia parameters from light curves and images of those events.

Nanocrystals have been at the forefront of technological developments in photonics thanks to their unique optoelectronic properties. In this thesis, different types of luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals have been studied, improved, and implemented towards novel applications. The topics of research discussed are: (i) II-V colloidal quantum dots as the building blocks of novel lasers via self-assembly from the bottom up (the fabrication and study of these are in fact the main focus of the thesis), and (ii) a perovskite quantum dot-based structure as a robust colour-converter of LEDs. (i) II-VI alloyed core-shell CdxS1-xSe/ZnS quantum dots are nanosized colloids (dispersed in solution) with excellent optical properties in the visible spectrum. These Cd-based colloidal quantum dots represent the most mature colloidal quantum dot technology and their use as light emitters and laser gain material is being intensely pursued. To date, colloidal quantum dot (and related nanocrystal) lasers have been made from the top down with the quantum dots deposited into an optical resonator fabricated separately. Departing from this standard approach and fully capitalizing on the solution processability of colloids, this work uses quantum dots as nanobricks to create supracrystal/supraparticle microspheres that self-assemble from a bottom-up approach. These supraparticles act simultaneously as the gain material and the optical microcavity. In addition to that they are capable of laser emission under optical excitation. Using red-emitting CdxS1-xSe/ZnS quantum dots, laser oscillation between the 625 and the 655 nm is obtained from single quantum dot spheres with diameters of 5.6 ± 3.2 μm and energy threshold of 4.7 ± 2.1 nJ for a 532 nm pump source with a beam spot size of approximately 6 μm in diameter. The possibility of making hetero-supraparticles by selecting and self-assembling together quantum dots with different emission and absorption spectra is also demonstrated. When carefully selected, these combinations can enhance the quality factor of the sphere. As an example, microspheres of red quantum dots and green quantum dots had an increase in the quality factor from 135±19 to 340±60, when compared to red quantum dot microspheres of the same size (6.0 ± 0.5 μm in diameter). Microspheres with quantum dots of red and higher band gap species also maintain similar laser threshold energies to their red quantum dot microsphere counterparts. In the example mentioned above, both microspheres reached laser threshold at 12 - 14 mJ.cm-2, for a beam spot size of 2.88×10-7 cm2. In addition to that, microspheres with higher bandgap quantum dots in their composition have also reported laser for cavities of sizes 3 - 4 times bigger, further suggesting that the increase in the quality factor and decrease in self-absorption is promoted by the addition of higher bandgap quantum dots. Synthesis of microspheres with different bandgap quantum dots also allow for simultaneous multicolor lasing in a single sphere. Stable dual laser emission of yellow (575 nm) and red (630 nm) is shown in a microsphere of 6.0 ± 0.5 μm in diameter, for energy thresholds between 13.3 and 45.6 nJ and for a spot size of approximately 4.85 × 10-7 cm2. The integration of supraparticle lasers to other devices is demonstrated via transfer printing. This method can move them reliably between substrates, and this was done to successfully couple them to waveguides. This demonstration paves the way to more complex designs and applications in integrated photonics. In addition to quantum dots, the self-assembly procedure was also tested and adapted to other types of semiconductor nanocrystals, including nanoplatelets and tetrapods, in a collaboration work with Nanyang Technological University (LUMINOUS! group). (ii) A different material was studied for colour conversion. Ceasium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals have up to date the fastest luminescent dynamics of all known nanocrystals and are therefore appealing for light communication applications. However, they are not stable in the presence of heat and humidity. Different coatings using two different polymers (PDMS and PMMA) have been studied as a way of protecting and increasing the stability of CsPbBr3@Cs4PbBr6 crystals. While PDMS samples were not stable upon immersion in water, PMMA composites showed little to no trace of degradation when immersed in water under vigorous stirring for up to 72 hours. Bandwidth measurements with PMMA samples have given similar results to the current state of the art, showing that PMMA is an effective matrix host for CsPbBr3@Cs4PbBr6 against moisture and water.

The prevalence of whiteness at selective Historically White Institutions (HWIs) creates hostile and oppressive environments for Latinx/a/o students. Consequently, Latinx/a/o students face racialized barriers that impact their ability to thrive at these institutions. Yet, despite these racialized barriers, Latinx/a/o students have found ways to thrive at selective HWIs. Thriving is a transformative process through which one confronts and copes with challenges but is able to flourish. As part of the process, the transformation happens when one moves beyond the original level of functioning and grows psychologically despite the trauma experienced. The objective of this study was to move beyond the racialized barriers that Latinx/a/o students face and understand how Latinx/a/o students thrive at selective HWIs. To move away from deficit-based ways of looking at Latinx/a/o student experience, this study integrated three Latinx/a/o-focused, asset-based theories to understand how Latinx/a/o students thrived. LatCrit, community cultural wealth (CCW), and validation theory were utilized in this study. The author examined how seven Latinx/a/o co-creators thrived at a selective HWI in the northeastern United States, employing a phenomenological approach to discover the essence and nuances of thriving for Latinx/a/o students. Initial findings suggest that (a) Latinx/a/o student thriving is connected to various elements not defined by academic success; (b) Latinx/a/o students tap into community cultural wealth, validating agents, and institutional spaces to overcome racialized barriers; and (c) Latinx/a/o student thriving is subjective and episodic at selective HWIs. Overall, these findings illuminate the complexity and nuances of Latinx/a/o student thriving at selective HWIs. The findings also suggest that internal agents at selective HWIs need to be aware of the subjective and episodic nature of thriving for Latinx/a/o students and understand the conditions and elements that can support Latinx/a/o student thriving. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The main focus of this thesis is to provide an insight on modelling plasmonic systems. The recent advent of new fabrication techniques have pushed plasmonic systems further and further into the nanoscale. However, on one hand, the extreme confinement of plasmons can force them to exhibit some quantum properties that classical and macroscopic modelling of such systems simply fails to capture. On the other, plasmonic system are typically of the size that quantum models such as density functional theory, to give an example, are impractical due to the large number of interactions that need to be addressed. The more practical solutions is then the development of semi-classical models that keep the simplicity of the macroscale while addressing some of the quantum behaviour of plasmons. In this thesis, I start by describing a classical, but valuable, tool to obtain the response of plasmonic systems analytically, called transformation optics. Then, I present a variation of the popular hydrodynamic Drude model, where I replace the fluid equations and their need for additional boundary conditions with a non-linear Schrödinger equation using the Madelung formalism. In order to prove that this new interpretation is valid, I push the non-local, non-linear Schrödinger equation into its linear and local limit and compare the results with full wave simulations and transformation optics. Then, I introduce a super-Gaussian potential into my equation in order to introduce heuristically electron spill-out non-locality and compare the results with a popular non-local model readily available in the literature. With this comparison I am able to devise a fitting parameter and show that it is invariant on small changes of the geometry. With this proposed methodology, I was able to include the electron spill-out heuristically in a simple and modular method.

Fuel cells are like batteries in the sense that they are electrochemical cells whose main components are two electrodes (anode and cathode) and an electrolyte material. They differ from most batteries as they require a continuous stream of fuel and oxidant, generating electricity and heat for as long as these are supplied. Perfluorinated sulfonic-acid ionomers such as Nafion are the most common proton exchange membrane material (solid electrolyte) whose structure underpins its unique water and chemical/mechanical stability properties. Pure hydrogen and air are typically used as the fuel and oxidant, respectively, and by-products are water and waste heat. Due to their high efficiency, low temperature operation and capacity to quickly vary their output to meet shifting demands, these fuel cells are attractive to the automobile industry, although they can also be used for stationary power production. Water management is a prominent issue in proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology. Strategies in this topic must maintain a delicate balance between adequate hydration levels in the Nafion proton electrolyte membrane to maximise proton conductivity, and minimal flooding, which hinders mass transport to active sites. The complex nature of water transport in these fuel cells can be investigated via in situ or ex situ diagnostics with visualisation techniques such as neutron imaging or optical diagnostics. Despite the wealth of information provided by these techniques, they suffer from issues such as limited availability, excessive cost, limited sensitivity, and penetration depth. Terahertz radiation has been growing in popularity for contactless and non-destructive testing across various industrial sectors, including pharmaceutical coating analysis, defect identification, and gas pipeline monitoring. The ability of terahertz waves to penetrate through dielectric materials such as plastics or ceramics combined with strong attenuation by liquid water provides the necessary contrast to image water presence in proton exchange membrane fuel cells and their components. Motivated by the recent commercial availability of a compact terahertz source and video-rate terahertz camera, a simple terahertz imaging system in transmission geometry was realised. First, as a first step towards flooding inspection in an operating fuel cell, the feasibility of the imaging system for visualising and quantifying liquid water during an ambient air desorption process for Nafion membranes of a wide range of thicknesses - NRE-212 (50 µm), N-115 (127µm), N-117 (180 µm) and N-1110 (254 µm) was investigated. It was demonstrated that the imaging system was able to quantify liquid water in the 25-500 µm thickness range, estimate membrane weight change related to liquid water desorption, which correlated well against simultaneous gravimetric analysis and visualise the room temperature liquid water desorption process of a partially hydrated Nafion N-117 membrane. Further work consisted in imaging water build-up inside an operating proton exchange membrane fuel cell using the terahertz imaging system, combined with high-resolution optical imaging. Using a custom-built, laboratory-scale, terahertz, and optically transparent fuel cell, two-phase flow phenomena of water accumulation and transport, such as membrane hydration, main droplet occurrence, water pool formation, growth, and eventual flush out by gases were imaged. Results of the terahertz agree with simultaneous optical imaging and electrochemical readings. To demonstrate the potential used of the proposed imaging modality, the effect of air gas flow rates on flooding was demonstrated.

The Anaconda endovascular stent graft is a medical device designed to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms, composed of a nitinol wire structure and a fabric graft. The graft is required to undergo significant deformations before and after the implementation of the device. This thesis addresses the material characterization of thin nitinol wire taking advantage of the test methods already established for tensile and compressive behaviour, mainly focussing on the compressive response. The tensile behaviour here presented consists of a preliminary study of the localised deformation on nitinol wire. The mechanical characterization of the wire under compression starts with the implementation of digital image correlation (DIC) technique to measure the sample strain field. The compressive test method was found to be unsuitable for compressive loading, where it was not possible to replicate the compressive tests, validate the DIC technique and does not hold the sample securely during the compressive test. This finding led to a complete change of the research goals and paved the way for the development of a test method for fine nitinol wire. A compressive test method is therefore proposed, which is shown to be valid under compressive loading and for obtaining the compressive material parameters as input to the numerical models. A parametric study was undertaken to understand the optimum ratio between the length and diameter of the sample. An attempt at using this method in a temperature-controlled environment is also presented. The application of the Auricchio constitutive model, implemented in the finite element software Abaqus, is considered. A comparison with an alternative non-commercial model is also studied and reported along with some suggested improvements. This results in better prediction of the asymmetric behaviour of nitinol wire under compressive and tensile loading and is shown to be very promising in physically representing the bending behaviour of nitinol wire.

In this thesis, we focus on reversible addition- fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerisation in scCO2 with both molecular chain transfer agents (CTAs) (DDMAT, CPAB, CTPPA) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based macromolecular CTAs (macro-CTAs) soluble in scCO2 (PDMS-DDMAT, PDMS-CPAB, PDMS-CTTPA), for the dispersion polymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA). Although the use of PDMS-DDMAT macro-CTAs led to stable PMMA particles, successful RAFT control was not attained, and part of the macro-CTA remained unreacted. Therefore, RAFT dispersion polymerisation of MMA in scCO2 was investigated using DDMAT and comparing to other molecular CTAs. Despite its low chain transfer constant (Ctr) towards MMA, DDMAT showed good control over PMMA molecular weight. A thorough investigation of the nucleation stage revealed an unexpected "in situ two-stage" mechanism that explains this result. Finally, a correlation between polymerisation control and the degree of solubility in scCO2 of the CTAs was stablished, giving rise to a guideline to select the best molecular CTA for MMA RAFT dispersion polymerisation in scCO2. The use of PDMS-CPAB and PDMS-CTPPA, which present chain-ends of high Ctr towards MMA, allowed an overall improvement of MMA polymerisation and RAFT control in scCO2 compared with PDMS-DDMAT. The good solubility of these macro-CTAs in scCO2 and the good control observed led to the formation of PDMS-b-PMMA block copolymers, suggesting the establishment of a polymerisation-induced self-assembly (PISA) process. This is a step forward towards PISA polymerisation via RAFT in scCO2 with fluorine-free macro-CTAs.

Flaviviruses are a large family of viruses of increasing importance for human health. The host response to infection is critical to determine the outcome of the disease, particularly at early stages. In addition, they are known to rearrange the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to form characteristic replication vesicles. Membrane rearrangements and accumulation of viral proteins in the ER during replication lead to the activation of diverse cellular stress responses. The integrated stress response (ISR) is a cellular program to restore homeostasis after exposure to different stresses, including viral infection. It can reversibly stall protein translation through phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α). The direct effect is the formation of cytoplasmic structures called stress granules (SG), clusters of stalled mRNA, initiation factors, and RNA-binding proteins. SG have also been proposed to signal innate immune responses and are directly targeted by several viral proteins. The kinetic of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and ISR activation following Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) infection have been described by our group (Carletti and Zakaria et al., 2019). Both occur early upon infection, before activation of interferon β (IFNβ) and interferon-stimulated genes (ISG). However, few SG are observed at late stages. Stimulation of infected cells with an activator of the UPR induces an earlier and stronger innate response and formation of SG. Further, analysis of the kinases that induce eIF2α phosphorylation by the generation of knocked-down cells showed that late formation of the TBEV-induced functional SG is PERK independent but PKR dependent. These observations indicate that the UPR response 'per se' cannot induce SG during TBEV infection. Interestingly, PKR activation is concomitant with IFNβ induction and requires unmasking and detection of viral RNA intermediates. Furthermore, it was also found that the NS4B and NS5 proteins of TBEV can inhibit PKR activation after Poly(I:C) transfection and thus prevent SG formation. Finally, cells deficient in SG formation showed a modest increase in viral replication and a lower level of IFNβ mRNA. To conclude, I have defined the most relevant kinase involved in SG formation following TBEV infection and identified NS4B and NS5 as viral factors involved in the modulation of this pathway.

As flooding continues to impact cities worldwide, engineering studies are focused on finding best strategies for Flood Risk Reduction (FRR) aiming mainly to the return of the pre-development state (before urban growth). However, current approaches provide a minor reflection of how communities at risk can adapt, reorganise, and sustain changes for the future. This thesis contributes to this context, by including the perspective of FRR as a "social phenomenon", enabling the discussion of (1) why some places experience catastrophic risk impacts with losses of properties and lives, and (2) what are the barriers and challenges to move FRR forward in vulnerable regions. In this context, the main objective of this thesis is to develop an integrated spatial-participatory framework for FRR in a Brazilian vulnerable area, the semiarid region. The framework was applied in the city of Campina Grande, located in Paraiba state. Campina Grande represents a middle-sized city with more than 400,000 inhabitants who face urban growth, social inequalities, water-related disasters, pluvial flooding (FR), and water shortage (WSR) risks. The integrated framework was built with the assumption that characterising the current NEEDS, enlightens the selection of appropriate ACTIONS and solutions for FRR in the local scale (i.e., NEEDS for ACTION). The framework combines participatory planning strategies with spatial tools, such as ArcGIS Pro (ESRI), Cellular Automata Dual-DrainagE Simulation (CADDIES) model, and Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). The participatory approach entitled as the PLANEJEEE Project (To Plan Extreme Events - "Planeje Eventos Extremos" in Portuguese) was formulated with the participation of residents, local authorities and specialists. 255 people participated of different strategies, including online and in-person surveys, informal meetings, workshops, and focus groups in 2019 and 2021. Results from the surveys shows that socio-economic, geographical, informational and contextual factors impact the risk perception and coping capacity of residents. When comparing FR and WSR perceptions, findings shows that resources related to information (communication), incentives and trust should be provided for improving residents' coping capacity before, during, and after the water-related events. Also, FRR challenges and future solutions are discussed in relation to issues with management, legislation, governance, society, and collaboration. The approach also developed mappings with spatial datasets for representing the current and future distribution of flood hazard, vulnerability and exposure. These maps show how residents are differently exposed and vulnerable to flood risk, leading to more inequalities in the city. The thesis is concluded with the analysis of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), green roofs, rain gardens, permeable pavement, green areas, and rainwater harvesting for Campina Grande. Findings show that solutions can provide environmental, social and economic benefits for the city, especially when they are combined; however, benefits are varied and located in different areas in the city. Benefits are context-specific, influenced by the place's inherent aspects, such as current needs, the location, and the application area. The thesis finalises with a discussion about how territorial exposure and vulnerability are linked spatial inequalities. Finally, recommendations for FRR in the Brazilian context are provided.

The EU Water Framework Directive requires all water bodies to achieve good ecological and chemical status by 2027. To achieve this a range of measures to improve the quality of water, particularly in urban areas, are required. It is within this context that this thesis uses a combination of field, laboratory and desk-based studies to identify contaminant loadings and their distributions within water bodies located in the Lower Lee catchment (London, United Kingdom). Specifically, water and sediment samples were collected at 11 sites on the River Lee, its' Navigation Channel and main tributaries, over a period of two years. Samples were analysed for a range of metals (cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, tin and zinc) and 11 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including anthracene, fluoranthene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene. Laboratory batch test experiments which focused on evaluating the release of metals from field sediments were undertaken to better understand the relationship between sediment and the overlying water column. Substance flow analysis (SFA) was then applied to predict mass loads of selected pollutants entering the receiving waters within 1 km of sampling sites to evaluate the potential use of the approach as a screening tool to identify pollutant hotspots in an urban river catchment. Field sampling data and substance flow analysis outputs were compared to evaluate the use of substance flow analysis as a desk-based approach to predict sediment pollutant hotspots in the field. Use of the approach as a tool to support catchment managers identify locations for interventions to improve water and sediment quality, as well inform the development of policies targeting environmental enhancement, are discussed. The results show that mean cadmium (2.33 ± 2.79 μg/g), copper (141.07 ± 111.00 μg/g), mercury (0.53 ± 0.45 μg/g), lead (175.70 ± 82.96 μg/g) and zinc (499.92 ± 264.66 μg/g) concentrations in the sediment exceed selected Dutch (Esdat, 2000) and Canadian (CCME, 2001) sediment guidelines. Comparison of mean polyaromatic hydrocarbon concentrations against relevant Canadian and Dutch sediment guidelines also indicates exceedances. With regard to aqueous samples, results reported here refer to total metal concentrations whereas the United Kingdom Technical Advisory Group and European Union Environmental Quality Standard both refer to dissolved and/or bioavailable concentrations. Thus, the exact implications of comparison of results to these standards are unclear as the fraction of each metal in the dissolved phase was not determined. Batch test results indicated that the amount of metal released into the sediment varied between metals and sites with the level of variation generally within an order of magnitude, ranging from a minimum of 0.12 % (tin, site A) to a maximum of 6.12 % (cadmium, site E). Through the use of reported emission factors, the substance flow analysis results predicted that a total of 19,304 kg/year (sum of six metals) and 781 kg/year (sum of five polyaromatic hydrocarbons) were discharged from the identified activities into surface waters within 1 km of each sampling site , with Deephams Sewage Treatment Works associated with a total of 6,715 kg/year for metals and a total of 12 kg/year for PAHs, corresponding to 33.5% of the total discharges for all selected pollutants (metals and PAHs) by mass. When evaluating trends in substance flow analysis predictions in relation to sediment field data, a very strong correlation (r ≥ 0.94 and p ≤ 0.05), was observed for the tributaries for cadmium, copper, mercury, lead and zinc, suggesting that substance flow analysis is a suitable tool to support catchment managers in identifying sediment metal hotspots in relatively smaller water bodies. However, the relationships between field and substance flow analysis data sets for metals at other sites and for PAHs at all sites (with the exception of anthracene) were not statistically significant. This indicates that all PAH predicted loads do not reflect those determined in river sediment. A range of substance flow analysis model limitations were identified, including the inability of the current approach to include emissions from combined sewer overflows and aerial deposition as well as account for in-sediment processes such as remobilisation, transport and degradation and further research in these areas is recommended.

In this work, I use insights from Conceptual Metaphor and Frame Semantics to demonstrate that the metaphorical expressions εἰρηνοποιήσας and διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτου (Col. 1.20b) evoke conceptual frames from both the Graeco-Roman conceptual world and the Jewish one. The impact of the christological configuration of the concept of peacemaking through blood in Colossians lies precisely in the incongruity between its message and the familiar frames known to the Gentile/Jewish audience in Colossae. The thesis is divided into two main parts bracketed by an introductory chapter and a conclusion. Having presented my literature review and method in chapter 1, Part 1 of the thesis (chapters 2 and 3) investigates εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτου (Col. 1.20b) against the Graeco-Roman conceptual world. In chapter two, I propose that the pax romana frame, strongly present in Asia Minor, constituted a key conceptual frame for the analysis of peacemaking through blood in Colossians 1.20b. In chapter three, I examine how the pax romana frame affects the reading of εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτου in Colossians 1.20b and how it challenges the perception of reality of the first-century readers in Asia Minor. The second part of the thesis (chapters 4-6) addresses the question of what frames could have been triggered in the mind of a Jewish reader steeped in the Old Testament by the metaphorical language of reconciliation and peacemaking by human bloodshed in Colossians 1.20. I argue that the reconciliation language (Col. 1.20a) had the potential to activate the rîb-pattern frame while peacemaking through human bloodshed (Col. 1.20b) could have evoked the offering of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 52.13-53.12-a passage located in the midst of rîb-passages in Deutero-Isaiah. Chapter 4 outlines the main elements of the Old Testament rîb-pattern whereas chapter 5 investigates Isaiah 53 within the literary context of Deutero-Isaiah. Chapter 6 argues that "reconciliation" metaphor in Colossians 1.20a had the potential to evoke the rîb-controversy frame whereas peacemaking through blood in verse 20b had the potential to activate the Isaiah 53 frame in the minds of the Jewish audience of Colossians.

This practice-based research explores how photographic representation mobilises desire through the gaze. Informed by the work of Jacques Lacan (2006), the research investigates what it might mean 'to come out' through photographic practice, considering aspects of secrecy as activators of desire in looking. The research begins by exploring the notion of the obscene according to the Greek etymology of the term ob skene (of-stage), when violent parts of Greek plays were acted, not in front of the audience, but out of sight (Mey, 2007). In light of this concept, the practice-based research was conducted in places in London where anonymous encounters take place out of sight of 'the public', such as sex shops, newsagents, gay bathhouses, sex clubs and a public toilet. The resulting body of photographic work ofers a fresh perspective upon art photography; an original contribution to the representation of gay male desire. The methodology is informed by the work of Michel Foucault (1977; 1978; 2003), whose theoretical framework considers the construction of visuality in the context of architectural and social spaces (hospitals, schools, asylums and prisons); spaces that condition how we look and determine what can be seen through relations of power (Rajchman, 1988). I claim that photographic representation constitutes a site for the suspension of the revelation of what is represented; a necessary suspension of classifcation and intelligibility. As long as I desire, there will always be a 'yet not known', a perpetual space of-frame, of-site, out of sight, that irremediably throws me into the feld of visuality, making me want to see and look again.

This PhD work aimed to better understand how 1) existing and near-future digital technologies are used as tools for abuse and surveillance within the context of intimate partner abuse (IPA), and 2) to design support solutions for survivors. In order to do so, a codesign methodology was adopted alongside IPA survivors and NGO support workers. The first phase of the work aimed to extend existing knowledge of the landscape and problem context through interviews with survivors and support workers, as well as an analysis of online forum data where survivors engage in peer-to-peer support. The results allowed for a better understanding of the different ways in which technology-facilitated abuse is perpetrated, how victims make use of technology within the bounds of an abusive relationship, as well as the gaps in professional and peer advice given to victims regarding digital privacy and security. The second phase consisted of several codesign workshops with survivors and support workers, which focussed on smart home devices and IPA. In the workshops, we collaboratively understood the threats posed by novel smart-home devices, how these devices are used for surveillance and abuse, the support currently available to victims, and, as before, survivors' and support workers' gaps in digital privacy and security knowledge. We also codesigned a series of ideas for improving the support available to victims regarding digital privacy and security management, alongside a series of ideas for improving the interpersonal privacy afforded by smart home devices. The final stage involved developing a support service - in this case, a chatbot - to address the issue of technology-facilitated IPA alongside participants, as well as a co-evaluation of the outcome. The codesigned chatbot is now entirely owned and maintained by one of the largest UK-based charities supporting victims of IPA.

Despite national efforts for internationalization, college student enrollment in language programs is in decline (MLA, 2019), and the United States continues to be a very monolingual country. Similarly, although Brazil is seen as an ethnically diverse and multicultural nation, and that the country's common core standards consider English to be a Lingua Franca (BNCC, 2017), only around 5% of Brazilians report having some knowledge of the language, most of whom are affluent and have access to world languages and study abroad for a longer period of time (British Council, 2014). Telecollaboration, well-established even before the pandemic, can connect geographically distant people to teach and learn languages, develop digital skills, and further cultural understanding. This study explores the experiences of ten undergraduate students participating in the program "Teletandem Brazil: Foreign Languages for all", a telecollaborative language exchange program. It examines the North American language classroom, observing how telecollaboration was implemented and what results it had on students' engagement and learning. Guided by a sociocultural approach to human development (Vygotsky, 1978), this qualitative project combined Formative Interventions and Change Laboratory methodologies to understand and present the findings. Data collection occurred over a span of three years. The bulk of the data was collected in an intermediate-level Portuguese language classroom that integrated Teletandem between September and October of 2018. Data analysis and further data collection continued until 2021 and supported the retelling of the history of telecollaboration implementation, as well as the discussion of its community, cultures, and objects. The investigation of the application of different Teletandem tasks, combined with the author's ten-year experience observing the integration of telecollaboration in the setting, allowed for a careful consideration of the Teletandem design and implementation. This study is the first to discuss how the integration of Teletandem tasks occurs in the partnering universities. It has identified several qualities of implementing synchronous and asynchronous Teletandem tasks, whether integrated or not, into the language classroom. Implications include a critical analysis of the contradictions that arose from the utilization of telecollaboration and a series of proposals and suggestions on how to implement telecollaborative exchanges. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Economic development is a complex process in which aggregate output growth is accompanied by changes in the sectoral structures of output and employment. Although scholars like Simon Kuznets and Hollis Chenery have demonstrated, from the late 1950s, the quantitative importance of structural change, the issue remained largely ignored by mainstream economists, who tended to treat structural change as a by-product of growth of lesser importance. However, over the last two decades the interest on the topic has been revigorated, fuelled by concerns about premature deindustrialisation and the viability of alternative routes to prosperity. This Thesis aims to contribute to the growing literature on the causes and consequences of structural change focusing on two issues that are still largely neglected. First, it investigates whether the effect of human capital on aggregate economic growth depends on the type of economic specialisation of the country. Most cross-country studies do not find a significant positive effect of human capital on growth. Failure in taking the demand for skilled labour into account may be the cause. The estimations suggest the existence of a complementarity between human capital endowment and economic specialisation, proxied by the Economic Complexity Index. Second, the Thesis investigates whether foreign direct investment (FDI) contributes to structural change in host economies. Inspired by stages-of-development approaches to FDI such as the Investment Development Path framework, it tests, for a group of developing countries, whether aggregate FDI affects the employment structure, whether the effect depends on the sectoral concentration of FDI and whether this vary according to the stage of development of the country. In a separate chapter, it investigates, using industry-level data of post-communist countries, whether the effect of FDI on productivity growth and structural change depends on institutional quality, human capital endowment, participation in global value chains (GVCs) and alignment to comparative advantage.

Offence to religious belief is any form of expression deemed insulting to the religious belief of a person or a group of persons. Blasphemy and apostasy are notable examples of such offences, which are at times regarded as an affront to social and religious morals, but can also be deemed as an infringement of the law or even a violation of human rights. Despite being essentially intangible, such offences have led to prosecutions, arrests, riots, and deaths throughout history. Nevertheless, there is limited research on the legal nature of these offences, as well as little clarity on the terminology used to characterise offence to religious belief. This perplexing scenario is further aggravated by the lack of direction from international adjudicating bodies dealing with expressions deemed offensive to religious belief. Consequently, the issue in question remains highly contentious worldwide. This thesis seeks to answer the following question: what are the normative underpinnings that international human rights courts and treaty bodies should take into consideration when deciding cases of offence to religious belief? To answer this question, the thesis will be divided into six chapters. The first chapter briefly scrutinises the foundations of prohibitions of offence to religious belief and proposes a re-examination of contemporary concepts related to such offences in order to test their compatibility with international human rights law. Chapters two to six examine structural and jurisprudential issues regarding offence to religious belief in international human rights law, to determine what are the normative principles that can be employed by international human rights courts and treaty bodies to resolve issues related to such offences. Therefore, this thesis addresses issues regarding offence to religious belief from a legal perspective, in order to provide greater legal certainty in such cases and a more holistic protection of human rights to every person.

Lipid oxidation has long been linked to the generation of toxic products seen to trigger many different anti-inflammatory responses. Products such as 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) and acrolein can react with nucleophilic groups in proteins to form lipoxidation adducts, that have been detected in diseases like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases and, hence, are considered powerful biomarkers of oxidative stress in vivo. In this work, the reactivity of HNE towards human serum albumin (HSA), the major protein of human serum, was studied and the lipoxidised protein was used as an immunogen to derive anti-HSA-HNE antibodies (Ab) for subsequent characterisation and as a basis for development of a rapid diagnostic test. Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis confirmed the formation of HNE adducts on 15 HSA peptides, and one of the HSA-HNE immunised sheep sera was shown to contain specific antibodies to these adducts. Peptide arrays covering the HSA sequence and treated post peptide synthesis with HNE were used in a novel approach to characterise the binding patterns of the in-house anti-HNE Ab, and the results were in agreement with those obtained by MS. Nevertheless, the antibody showed cross-reactivity to HSA, which suggested some of the epitopes included not only the HNE moiety of the adducts, but also regions of HSA. Despite the cross-reactivity of this generated Ab, its potential for diagnostic applications was assessed by its deployment in a lateral flow assay together with a commercial anti-HNE Ab. The assay was able to distinguish HNE-modified proteins from non-modified ones, although further optimization is required. Finally, RNA from B lymphocytes of the HSA-HNE immunized sheep was extracted for construction of recombinant Fab and scFv phage display libraries, for the selection of monoclonal antibodies, but biopanning of anti-HSA-HNE clones was shown to be challenging due to the preponderance of anti-HSA specific clones present in the libraries.

Carbon-fibre reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are the material of choice for light-weight structural applications. The microstructure of CFRPs ranges from simple to more complex architectures, allowing them to be tailored for specific applications. However, composite material systems present intrinsic variability which leads to a stochastic mechanical response. The behaviour of composite materials under different loading conditions (ranging from static to complex cyclic loads) is still to be fully understood. This study aims to develop models to predict the variability and reliability of different composite architectures, leading to safer and more reliable composite structure designs. Tow-Based Discontinuous Composites (TBDCs) are an up-and-coming class of high-performance discontinuous composites, which combine high manufacturability and good mechanical properties. Their architecture, composed by randomly oriented carbon fibre tows, results in a microstructure with the most extreme levels of variability. The spatial variability of TBDC strain fields was quantitatively characterised with a new proposed method, which enabled the identification of a relationship between the characteristic length-scales of the strain fields and the material's microstructural features. The intrinsic variability of these materials leads to a notch insensitive behaviour, that was experimentally characterised not only for circular notches of different diameters but also for non-circular notch geometries. A stochastic Finite Element (FE) framework able to replicate the intrinsic variability of TBDC materials was proposed. The framework considers an implicit representation of the material's microstructure, by using a Stochastic Equivalent Laminate analogy, and predicts the elastic response, damage initiation and final failure of TBDCs under static loading. The FE framework was validated against experimental results for different TBDC material systems, with both random and preferential fibre orientations. Numerical models were used to explore the design space of discontinuous composites, in order to identify optimal microstructure designs that maximise their stiffness and strength. Ultra-thin tapes (20 μm) of high modulus (425-760 GPa) carbon-fibres were used to manufacture and test TBDC under static loading. The experimental results showed increases of strength up to 100%, when compared with commercially available TBDC systems, and resulted in a discontinuous composite with mechanical properties that match the strength and overcome the stiffness of aerospace-graded continuous-fibre quasi-isotropic laminates. Composites are often subjected to cyclic loading, presenting further challenges in predicting their reliability. An analytical model to predict the fatigue response of unidirectional composites was also proposed. Due to its analytical formulation, the model was able to predict, for the first time in the literature, the evolution of the micromechanical fatigue damage in composites with any number of fibres. Strength reductions throughout fatigue life (up to 10 million cycles) are computed in less than sixty seconds. The model generates stochastic S-N curves and was successfully validated against experiments from the literature. This work shows the potential of TBDCs to match the mechanical properties of continuous-fibre quasi-isotropic laminates while still having high manufacturability. The models developed throughout this work can be used to support material design, to identify optimal TBDC microstructures for enhanced mechanical performance.

The radiocarbon activity of a reservoir is a function of both intra- and inter-reservoir phenomena. In general, any process removing ¹⁴C from a reservoir (or equivalently introducing pre-aged carbon) without its replenishment by a counteracting process will cause a reservoir effect. First defined in 1986, the ¹⁴C marine reservoir effect (MRE) still puzzles researchers worldwide. Its quantification is paramount for the application of the radiocarbon dating tool in marine environments, bearing important consequences for the chronology of coastal archaeological sites. Unfortunately, a significant lack of MRE data has hindered chronometric studies in regions such as the coast of Brazil, where thousands of prehistoric shell mounds remain poorly investigated. The geographic and temporal fluctuations of the MRE have led me to employ a two-pronged approach, using known-age and archaeological samples, in an effort to understand this variability for the Brazilian coast. In this kind of study, the importance of contextualization cannot be overstated and, therefore, my methodology has involved a range of accessory techniques (e.g., anthracology, stable isotopes and X-ray diffraction analyses) to ensure the suitability of samples for MRE quantification and thus to enhance the accuracy of the results. The pre-bomb local components of the MRE - i.e., ∆R values - are mostly within the range from -100 to 100 ¹⁴C yr, but record the influence of phenomena such as upwelling and limestone dissolution at specific locations on the coast. The archaeological ∆R value of -102 ± 74 ¹⁴C yr, in turn, was derived from the Late Holocene shell mound Sambaqui da Cabeçuda, a massive coastal site in Southern Brazil, where the archaeological evidence suggests a funerary function. The highly negative ∆R value is likely caused by the input of recently formed carbon species in the system and I discuss different Bayesian models for the calculation of this offset, as well as a series of complications for MRE studies in Brazilian shell mounds. In order to disentangle the complex relationships between archaeology and the environment, I have used stable isotopes of N and C together with Bayesian analysis to assess the diet of 5 humans from Cabeçuda. The quantification of the high proportion of marine diet (up to 80%) allowed me to calibrate bone ¹⁴C ages with an appropriate mixed curve. Despite various obstacles, the current practice of using ∆R and a global calibration curve remains the best available approach for marine calibration. Nonetheless, by acknowledging that discussion of other possibilities is paramount for the progress of radiocarbon research, I present a method for the achievement of local marine calibration curves. The advantages and limitations of this method are discussed at the end of the thesis. Overall, this research uses interdisciplinary techniques to tackle questions of archaeological and environmental significance and provides useful methodological insights for future studies.

The Mekong river's monsoon driven annual flood pulse creates a range of diverse habitats, with high levels of connectivity and primary productivity that support and trigger fish migratory dynamics and abundance. This abundance is reflected in the fact that the Mekong is the World's most productive inland fisheries, supporting between 2.8-3.2 million tonnes of catch annually, underpinning the food security of over 70 million people. This thesis explores the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activity on Mekong hydrology and system function, and the impacts these have on fish and fisheries. It combines an interdisciplinary approach utilising earth observation, historical fisheries data and hydrological records, alongside the application of hydrological modelling tools and the testing of new environmental DNA metabarcoding analyses, in order to explore how changes in Mekong hydrology will affect fish populations into the future. The results highlight a range of projected negative impacts of hydropower development, irrigation expansion and climate change on the dai fishery resources, and in turn a range of significant impacts on regional fish protein availability, which primarily result from the blockage of key migratory routes caused by dam construction as well as changes in the timing of the flood pulse in key areas in the basin such as Tonle Sap Great Lake. The findings in this study urge a need to prioritise environmental conservation action centred on a need to maintain the historical flood pulse hydrologic regime of the Mekong river. Such a pulse is shown to be important in sustaining floodplain flood dynamics and habitat connectivity that maintains the critical dai fishery, enables migratory fish dynamics, and is thus key to overall regional food security.

There is a major clinical demand for rapid diagnostic tests capable of detecting pathogens in human samples. This is driven by an unprecedented clinical need in prescribing antibiotics more objectively and fighting antimicrobial resistance. Despite the remarkable breakthroughs, miniaturisation of such bioassays is challenging and expensive. Urinary Tract Infections are the most common bacterial infection, with Escherichia coli (E. coli) being responsible for >80% of cases, presenting concerning resistance levels to the last generation of antibiotics. Currently, diagnostics industry struggle to deliver miniaturised biosensors capable of detection and identifying bacteria at format compatible with point-of-care. This thesis presents novel experimental insights for sensitive and rapid detection of E. coli using polyclonal antibodies immobilized on the inner surface of an inexpensive 10-bore FEP-Teflon® MicroCapillary Film. Overall the results achieved allowed identification of three major challenges for miniaturisation of bacteria detection: the interrogation volume, gravity and shear stress. Coated capillaries acted as a very high affinity system, capturing up to 100% of E. coli cells, with clear evidence of immunospecificity. In addition, an opportunity to explore the 'open' fluidics aspect of microcapillary systems to concentrate bacteria from a large sample volume was identified and therefore speed up the detection of bacteria in clinical samples without the need for microbiological incubation. Therefore, this enabled the development of a fluorescence sandwich immunoassay capable of quantifying E. coli in buffer and synthetic urine in less than 25 minutes, yielding a limit of detection (LoD) up to 240 CFU/ml, commensurate with the cut-off value required for UTIs (103-105 CFUs/ml). This proof-of-concept was achieved exploiting low cost readout systems such as a smartphone and demonstrated reproducible and robust performance in synthetic urine. Ultimately, two new gravity-driven microfluidic devices, denominated MCF-funnel and MCF-siphon, were designed and manufactured to address autonomy, power-free and portability requirements.

This thesis addresses three topics in political and criminal violence. The first essay is an empirical evaluation of a broad set of homicide reduction policies implemented in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. I employ the synthetic control method, a generalisation of differences-in-differences, to compare these measures against an artificial Sao Paulo. The results indicate a large drop in homicide rates in actual Sao Paulo when contrasted with the synthetic counterfactual, with about 20,000 lives saved during the period. The second essay offers a rational choice account for the Brazil's jogo do bicho, or the 'animal game', possibly the largest illegal gambling game in the world. I investigate the institutions that have caused the jogo do bicho's notable growth and long-term survival outside the boundaries of the Brazilian law. I show how bicheiros or bookmakers promote social order, solve information asymmetries, and reduce negative externalities via costly signalling and the provision of club goods. I also explain the emergence of the informal rules that govern the game as well as their enforcement mechanisms. In the third essay, I employ extreme bounds analysis and distributed random forests to identify the key determinants of state-sponsored violence. Although scholars have suggested a number of potential correlates of mass killings, it remains unclear whether the estimates are robust to different model specifications, or which variables accurately predict the onset of large-scale violence. I employ extreme bounds analysis and random forests to test the sensitivity of 40 variables on a sample of 177 countries from 1945 to 2013. The results help clear the brush around mass killings, as few variables in this literature are robust determinants of atrocity. However, support for an opportunity logic persists as greater constraints on a government limit its ability to employ barbarous tactics. It appears that the Conflict Trap applies to government atrocity. Atrocity breeds atrocity, while wealthy stable democracies tend to avoid episodes of mass killing.

The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to increase the awareness and knowledge of secondary school professionals on dyslexia, including the role of the school-based speech-language pathologist. Two research questions guiding the quantitative data collection centered on the impact of a PowerPoint dyslexia training on the participants' knowledge and attitudes about dyslexia in the schools. In addition, two qualitative research questions guided the study involving the participants' perceptions of the role of speech-language pathologists in a dyslexia protocol, and how to implement a dyslexia protocol in secondary-level schools. The results of the study indicate that the training session increased the participants' knowledge about dyslexia, increased the perceptions that dyslexia should be addressed in the schools, and increased the perceptions that speech-language pathologists play a significant role in identifying, assessing, and remediating students with dyslexia. Suggestions of how a dyslexia protocol could be implemented in secondary-level schools were also included in the qualitative data findings. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This research is concerned with the appropriation of personal photographs within contemporary art practice. The scope of the investigation ranges from the study of history and theory of photography to the making of experimental artworks with vernacular photographic artefacts and images of the pre-digital era. The study focuses on tracing the origins of the concept of appropriation in the history of art and the influence of the technical and artistic developments of the photographic medium in its birth and evolution, followed by an analysis of modes of appropriation of vernacular photographs by artists in the twentieth and twenty first centuries. Through practice, there is an engagement with the appropriation of photographs from an institutional archive, found artefacts and autobiographical material, relating them in ways which take in consideration their specific morphological features, historical traces and connections to memory. What concerns this study is therefore how and if the photographs coming from these various sources relate to this unstable and permanently expanding definition of vernacular photography, and its inscription in the history of photography. The body of work to which this text refers is not documentary but it is about the limits of the document, involving a staging and performance of the concept of archive and its fragmentations. The photographs appropriated are put in evidence in the new creations through selection, sequencing, writing, displaying, performing and publishing. Each piece presented is an essay about ways of seeing and thinking the tangible matter of old vernacular photographs. The technological tools used in the process of study, transformation and presentation of practice are the ones available today. They allow us to demonstrate that photography as always been a technological tool in permanent change and a motor to the dominant cultural and political systems of our era. Contemporary digital devices of presentation and analysis of photographic images became a key aspect of the practice associated with this research as a means to make photography reflect on itself.

This research explores homicidal bereavement experiences, particularly for individuals with longer-term difficulties after their loss, and evaluates the impact of a residential, psychoeducational intervention offered by a national charity, Escaping Victimhood (EV). To achieve those goals, a longitudinal mixed method design was implemented prospectively with participants as they attended an EV intervention and retrospectively with those who had attended 2-5 years before. The literature review (Chapter 1) demonstrates that violent losses (homicide) tend to have greater impacts on individuals' lives (e.g., psychological, financial and social difficulties), compared with non-violent deaths, given the particular characteristics of the homicide itself and aftermath post-event. Furthermore, this review highlighted a lack of evidence-based research investigating what psychological interventions have been evaluated. This led to the systematic review (Chapter 2) to evaluate which interventions are most available, as well as how EV elements compared with those interventions. This is followed by three empirical chapters (chapters 3-5). Chapter 3 (qualitative study) explores the individuals' perceptions about the post-homicide reality, impacts and experiences of support. Chapter 4, a longitudinal study estimates patterns of psychological difficulties, coping and resilience over time and post-EV intervention. Finally, Chapter 5 qualitatively explored how 29 EV participants (14 were interviewed 6-9 months and 15 at 2-5 years post-EV intervention) progressed over time and what changes, barriers to recovery and future hopes they report. The overall discussion (Chapter 6) considers the findings of the two reviews and empirical studies performed where the findings from the outlined independent studies are embedded in three main areas, namely: 1) Post-homicide reality; 2) Psychological difficulties & coping and resilience patterns; and 3) Interventions and support needs. Finally, limitations, recommendations for EV, clinical practice, policy and future research directions are included.

Oocytes of most species assemble and maintain a functional bipolar spindle in the absence of centrosomes. Strikingly, after bipolar spindle formation, oocytes arrest in metaphase for several hours before fertilisation. How the dynamic spindle maintains its bipolarity during this long arrest is poorly understood. I hypothesise that the bipolar spindle is stably maintained by changes in the distribution of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) on the spindle during the long oocyte arrest. To test this, I generated transgenic flies expressing GFP-tagged microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), and found that 13 out of 24 proteins change localisation between early and late oocytes. I refer to these changes in MAP localisation after establishment of bipolarity as 'spindle maturation'. In order to identify the molecular mechanisms triggering MAP relocalisation, I manipulated the kinase activity of the cell cycle regulator Cdk1 by over-expressing non-degradable cyclin A or B, the major activators of Cdk1. Their expression prevented re-localisation of distinct sets of MAPs, and disrupted spindle bipolarity and accurate chromosome segregation in oocytes. Kinesin-6 Pavarotti/MKlp1 localised strongly to the spindle equator in late oocytes, whilst nearly always absent from this region in early oocytes. The localisation of Pavarotti to the spindle equator in late oocytes was reduced when cyclin B is over-expressed in oocytes, suggesting a role for Cdk1/cyclin B complex in regulating Pavarotti localisation. Indeed, a Pavarotti/Mklp1 mutant non-phosphorylatable by Cdk1 prematurely localised to the meiotic spindle and disrupted spindle bipolarity. Moreover, removal of Pavarotti from the metaphase-I spindle by RNAi induced spindle defects in oocytes. Therefore, it is likely that the microtubule cross-linking activity of Pavarotti enhances the stability of the metaphase-I spindle during the long arrest. Consistent with this, I found that the microtubule density in the spindle equator is higher in late oocytes. Altogether, I propose that remodelling the molecular architecture of the spindle during the long oocyte arrest is important to stabilise the bipolar spindle without centrosomes.

Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL) is a unique Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) approach for quantifying tissue perfusion non-invasively. More than two decades of technical developments established ASL as a valuable tool in neuroimaging, having more recently began its translation to the clinic. ASL holds great potential for the assessment of kidney disease given that it does not require contrast agents which are typically contraindicated for patients with impaired renal function. However, renal ASL applications remain limited and the technique has yet to be incorporated into clinical practice. The sensitivity of ASL to patient movement, which severely corrupts the renal perfusion estimates, is arguably one of the greatest factors hindering a wide adoption of this technique. This thesis begins with an overview of the main concepts addressed in this work (kidney physiology, MRI and ASL) and a thorough literature review of previous renal ASL work. The problem of patient movement is then addressed at all levels of the ASL framework by combining a motion-insensitive ASL acquisition scheme with a specifically tailored image processing pipeline. The feasibility of this technique to provide repeatable renal perfusion measurements is demonstrated in the first paediatric cohort with impaired renal function to undergo renal ASL. Finally, the critical findings of this thesis are summarised and prospective future research directions are outlined.

Unequivocally tied to the protection and accumulation of private fortunes over time, the wealth management industry has mostly been portrayed in media and academic accounts in terms of exotic practices taking place in unreachable, offshore worlds. This thesis seeks to explore this sector of finance as a market that targets and serves the super-rich and as a key site where capital is reproduced, but by attending to the more ordinary practices, procedures and experiences typically obscured in those accounts. More precisely, this is a market that seeks to capture and retain private wealth in the form of a portfolio of financial market products. Doing so, as a tradition of research on marketization has shown, involves multiple processes whereby suppliers and their products/services adapt and co-evolve with clients and their worlds. Through a range of qualitative and ethnographic methods and materials collected across different wealth management contexts (i.e. Lisbon, London, Geneva and Zurich), the aim is to account for those adaptations and attachments as pragmatic, situated lived experience that demands forms of cognitive and calculative engagement but always exceed it in significant ways. Namely, this is a market for financial products and services that clients become attached to by seeing them as adequate ways of holding and growing money. In this sense, this thesis is also about money – and how modes of qualifying products/services for holding and growing money reveal something constitutive of what money is that unsettles dominant theories. A market that is all about the money reveals – performs - money not as a means for lubricating exchange, but as the embodiment of a nexus between value and future. Thus, accounting for the ways in which private wealth becomes attached in the financial portfolio, and animated by the ‘spirit’ of money, is ultimately a story about capital - how it is provoked, accomplished and demonstrated in and through the financial portfolio but also a variety of other services, and how its mark is inscribed in lifeworlds attached thereby.

The inhomogeneous, anisotropic turbulence downstream of a square prism is investigated by means of direct numerical simulations (DNS) and two-point statistics. As noted by Moffatt (2002) “it now seems that the intense preoccupation [...] with the problem of homogeneous isotropic turbulence was perhaps misguided” acknowledging there is now a revived interest in studying inhomogeneous turbulence. The full description of the turbulence cascade requires a two-point analysis which re- volves around the recently derived Kármán-Howarth-Monin-Hill equation (KHMH). This equation is the inhomogeneous/anisotropic analogue to the so-called Kolmogorov equation (or Kármán-Howarth equation) used in Kolmogorov’s 1941 seminal papers (K41) which are the foundation to the most successful turbulence theory to date. Particular focus is placed on the near wake region where the turbulence is anticipated to be highly inhomogeneous and anisotropic. Because DNS gives direct access to all ve- locity components and their derivatives, all terms of the KHMH can be computed directly without resorting to any simplifications. Computation of the term associated with the non-linear inter-scale transfer of energy (Π) revealed that this rate is roughly constant over a range of scales which increases (within the bounds of our database) with distance to the wake generator, provided that the orientations of the pairs of points are averaged-out on the plane of the wake. This observation appears in tandem with a near −5/3 power law in the spectra of fluctuating velocities which deteriorates as the constancy of Π improves. The constant non-linear inter-scale transfer plays a major role in K41 and is required for deriving the 2/3-law (which is real space equivalent of the −5/3). We extend our analysis to a triple decomposition where the organised motion associ- ated with the vortex shedding is disentangled from the stochastic motions which do not display a distinct time signature. The imprint of the shedding-associated motion upon the stochastic component is observed to contribute to the small-scale anisotropy of the stochastic motion. Even though the dynamics of the shedding-associated motion differs drastically from that of the stochastic one, we find that both contributions are required in order to preserve the constant inter-scale transfer of energy. We further find that the inter- scale fluxes resulting from this decomposition display local (in scale-space) combinations of direct and inverse cascades. While the inter-scale fluxes associated with the coherent motion can be explained on the basis of simple geometrical arguments, the stochastic motion shows a persistent inverse cascade at orientations normal to the centreline despite its energy appearing to be roughly isotropically distributed.

The expansion of technology connectivity and the pervasiveness of data in our society pose both challenges and opportunities for the government and the private sector. Big companies like Google and Facebook are in the forefront of successfully tackling the challenge of extracting meaning from this data deluge: building rich profiles of people and networks enable them to monetise and make profits by selling such profiles for targeted marketing purposes. For most organisations, though, the challenge of generating actionable intelligence from the available data sources is still daunting. In the government sector, one of the sectors that could benefit significantly from data-driven intelligence is that of Law Enforcement. However, the deficit of specialized personnel and tools which extract meaningful information from data (as Chapter~\ ef{sec:intro} shows) is directly linked to weak investigation capabilities, ultimately hampering catching serious organised organisations. As the literature review shows, the available forensic tools are just starting to change the focus from improving processing performance to facilitating investigation and exploration. One example is the increasing adoption of domain taxonomies to describe data. This thesis addresses the capability gaps by demonstrating that analysts working in law enforcement would benefit from an data exploration tool leveraging specific semantic features. In addition to semantic search and integration of data (features already provided by many semantic data exploration tools), allowing the investigators to materialise classes, object properties and datatype properties could help them shaping their knowledge during the course of an investigation. Moreover, the ability of expressing knowledge in terms of semantic queries and rules could enhance information exchange between analysts. A prototype was developed to assess the feasibility of the idea and validate it with actual investigators. Their feedback after testing the prototype indicated that such computer-provided features could indeed support the reasoning of the human analyst, making cybercrime investigation more efficient.

Schools across the United States exercise an exclusionary practice that involves the removal of a student from the academic setting, as a consequence for minor to severe infractions to the code of conduct. Research on exclusionary practices has shown that students who are frequently suspended are more susceptible to developing negative perceptions on education, gaps in their learning, experience academic failure and eventually dropout out of school (Bowditch, 1993; Mitchell & Bradshaw, 2013). High school dropouts are more likely to discover their lives intersecting with the criminal justice system, perpetuating the 'school to prison pipeline' (Rocque & Snellings, 2018). The purpose of this study is to examine an alternative approach to outdated traditional discipline methods that are ineffective. The research question directing this inquiry is "What are the experiences of principals and assistant principals in public secondary education settings in implementing restorative discipline as a transformative and alternate discipline method?" The Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized in order to develop a deeper understanding of how the participant's interpretation influenced the implementation, expressed efficacy and affected student outcomes. Four administrators, with experience in implementing a restorative discipline approach, participated in the study and were interviewed with a semi-structured interview protocol. The study concluded that restorative practice is an effective system for managing conflict, building relationships and capturing the voices of students. Restorative practice should not be consigned to just the purpose of discipline, but rather implemented as a means to build, support and maintain the culture of a school. The findings were consistent with studies that indicate the effectiveness of restorative practice in reducing suspension rates, improving relationships and developing a positive school culture. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This thesis examines the evolution of water provision in Bafatá, Guinea-Bissau, between 2006 and 2014, including the role of state and non-state actors, policy models and everyday practices in shaping the city’s piped supply scheme. The overall aim is to use perspectives from a small African city to evaluate understandings of urban water infrastructure circulating in the fields of geography and urban studies. Based on ethnographic work in Guinea-Bissau involving 11 months of participant observation and 94 interviews with state officials, workers in international organisations and the city’s water operator, and water users, this thesis argues that the dominance of critiques of neoliberalism and the limited theorisations of the state prevailing in current analyses are key limitations for service provision in small cities in poorer contexts. To address these weaknesses, this thesis adopts an analytical framework that combines the concepts of ‘variegated neoliberalism’ and ‘assemblages’ with an attention to the ‘everyday’, in order to develop an understanding of a ‘creole’ mode of governance characterised by its intermixing of influences. In addition, it draws on anthropological explorations of the state that examine state practices and interactions with non-state actors without fixing these in pre-conceived analytical categories. This thesis shows that the state has shaped water provision in Bafatá not through following policy and regulatory frameworks, but through the decisions and practices of governmental officials and their interactions with nonstate organisations. It also demonstrates that development interventions have significantly influenced water provision in Bafatá. However, policy models circulating in the city have been routinely assembled with and reshaped by alternative logics, motivations and practices, and therefore transformed beyond their original agendas. Lastly, water provision is analysed from the perspective of everyday water practices, demonstrating the multiplicity of factors shaping access to water, including perceptions of quality of water, and the simultaneous disruption and continuity of ingrained sharing practices through the introduction of meters.

The injection of CO2 in oil reservoirs for tertiary oil recovery is one of the main Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) processes and it is widely used in the oil and gas industry. To prevent early gas breakthrough, CO2 is commonly injected in alternated slugs with water, in a process known as CO2 Water Alternating Gas (CO2 WAG). When such processes are carried out in carbonate reservoirs, there is the potential for calcite (CaCO3) dissolution in the reservoir and its subsequent re-precipitation in production systems, thus posing a flow assurance risk that must be carefully managed. A new thermodynamic model that addresses all of the major steps involved in the precipitation of CaCO3 scale in CO2 WAG production systems is proposed, including: i) the dissolution of injected CO2 into the reservoir brine; ii) the rock-brine interactions and the dissolution of CaCO3 rock; iii) the reactive flow and transport of aqueous components in the reservoir; iv) the partition of components between the liquid, vapour, and water phases; and v) the precipitation of CaCO3 scale as a function of decreasing pressure (and temperature) in CO2 WAG production systems (i.e. in the well and in topside equipment). Thus, an aqueous electrolyte model has been implemented and coupled with a Vapour-Liquid Equilibrium (VLE) model, a multiphase flash model, and a reactive transport model. The non-ideal behaviour of the aqueous and hydrocarbon phases (vapour and liquid) has been modelled by using respectively the Pitzer equations and an Equation of State (EOS) (Soave-Redlich-Kwong, SRK, and Peng-Robinson, PR, EOS, have been used, among others). The implementation of these models has been validated by comparing results with experimental data and/or with results obtained by using industry standard software. In addition, the impact of VLE, multiphase flash, and reactive transport calculations on the precipitation of CaCO3 scale has been investigated, by considering commonly available production data. Also, a procedure had been devised to address each step involved in the precipitation of CaCO3 scale in CO2 WAG production wells individually, and together in an integrated approach. In fact, this work focuses on building the boundaries for the CaCO3 scaling system, thus allowing to define, and work on, worst case scenarios. This gives the required information – both qualitatively and quantitatively – to manage CaCO3 scale in CO2 WAG production wells.

This thesis examines the operational delivery systems of information-centric Mass Claims Processes. Empirical data is presented which builds upon existing literature within the Operations Management discipline. This thesis aims to extend the area of knowledge which focuses on the rendering of assistance to very large groups of individuals disadvantaged through particular events such as armed conflict, civil unrest, acts of government and other similarly sweeping actions. One such approach of aid delivery is through a legal process known as a Mass Claims Process which delivers assistance. This research examines how this assistance is rendered to the individual, the ‘claimant’, through a legally guided and controlled analysis of claimant-provided information. Such organisations are typically either publicly funded or funded through social schemes, which introduces significant pressure for efficiency. Similarly, the legal nature of MCPs emphasises the need for accuracy in the delivery of justice and law. The research addresses a number of areas not fully explored by the extant literature. There is a lack of research which explores the apparent trade-off between efficiency and accuracy in large scale legal services. Little empirical evidence exists on the application of Postponement strategies in information-centric operations. This research also investigates a previously unexplored context in which strategic frameworks must find optimal alignment between the service concept and the design of the delivery system in a restricted and challenging environment. Fieldwork was carried out over a three year period in two separate organisations, and utilised a polar case approach to increase the validity of the findings. The phenomenon of information interrelation, previously unidentified in the literature, is shown to have significant impact in this context. Several models are presented to describe the dynamic relationships between the characteristics and the strategic choices of the MCP. The results produce a set of findings illustrating optimal design choices for the key delivery system characteristics associated with MCPs. The financial impact of such organisations reaches into the billions (USD), and will continue to be a significant economic consideration for the foreseeable future. As such, research in this area has the ability to increase the efficient use of organisational resources for the organisations, while improving the service for the applicants. Whilst this thesis contributes to the body of knowledge for delivery system design, further research is welcomed, especially on the phenomenon of information interrelation, for the growing area of information-centric organisations.

The highly fertile Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE) results from landscape transformations found in association with archaeological sites throughout Amazonia. In the Lower Tapajos region, ADEs are found in ancient Tapajó settlements dated to the Late Pre-Columbian period (AD 1000-1600). This research focuses on plant management associated with the regional formation of ADE. Three ADE sites are analysed for microbotanical remains. Phytolith and microcharcoal (< 125μm) from test pits and excavation profiles reveal diverse plant-use including food and non-food plants. Geochemical data indicated a variety of formations processes intra-site. The inter-site comparison indicated a gradiente of vegetation change related with the formation of ADEs. Aditionally, small changes folloed the adoption of cultigens together with ADE formation. These data suggest the practice of polyculture agroforestry in the investigated sites.

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones perceive and discriminate diverse types of sensations. Nociceptors are a subgroup of DRG neurones specialised in translating noxious pain stimuli to the spinal cord and higher brain centres. Following a noxious insult, nociceptors are known to have enhanced excitability and peptide secretion both of which, are likely to be a consequence of increased membrane trafficking and vesicle fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicle-associated membrane proteins (VAMPs) are vesicular SNARE proteins (v-SNAREs) which complex together with cognate target SNARE proteins (t-SNAREs) found on 'acceptor' compartments. Together they regulate membrane trafficking and vesicle fusion; while much is known about the v- and t-SNAREs involved in the fusion of neurotransmitter and neuropeptide-containing vesicles with the plasma membrane, to date the identity of SNAREs involved in ion channel trafficking or secretion in nociceptors is limited. To explore the role of SNAREs on DRG neurones' secretion and excitability, an in vitro inflammation model was established. An inflammatory soup containing ATP, bradykinin, prostaglandin E2, histamine, noradrenaline, nerve growth factor, and serotonin was added for 22 h. This incubation induced hyperexcitability. In voltage-clamp, sodium currents resistant to tetrodotoxin, Nav1.9 and Nav1.8 currents, were increased. However, a decrease in the expression of Nav1.7 (TTX-sensitive) and Nav1.9 (TTX-resistant) at the plasma membrane was observed, which likely reflects changes in subcellular location of these channels induced by the inflammatory model. This study also identified the expression of seven vesicle membrane-associated proteins in DRG neurones (VAMP1-5, 7 and 8). This expression was found across all soma diameters. VAMP1/2/7 were observed in the neurites. The potential of the botulinum chimaeras, tetbot A and tetbot B, in reducing CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) release and preventing excitability induced by an inflammatory soup was also explored. These chimaeras are designed to target isolectin B4-negative DRG neurones and cleave SNAP25 (t-SNARE) and VAMP1/2/3 (v-SNAREs). Tetbot A cleaved SNAP25 and significantly reduced CGRP release elicited by 60 mM KCl. The interpretation of the electrophysiology results is problematic as the detergent used in the chimaera preparations altered baseline properties of the DRG neurones.

Chapter 1. Introduction A literature background on the early development of the Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions and the later discovery of the enolate arylation reaction is presented. In the second part, the literature on pyruvate chemistry is explored, focusing on enantioselective transformations and the synthesis of α-arylated pyruvate derivatives. The final part presents reported protocols on the synthesis of β-carboline, isoquinoline and indole esters, from the classical approaches to the more recent methodologies based on metal catalysed transformations. Chapter 2. Results and Discussion 2.1 A study towards the synthesis of substituted amino-pyridines via 6π-electrocyclisation of 1-azatrienes is presented. The aspects impacting the efficiency of the cyclisation reaction are discussed using the experimental data collected and kinetic experiments published by other groups. 2.2 A synthetic methodology for the synthesis of substituted β-carbolines from 3-bromoindoles and commercially available ketones via Pd-catalysed enolate arylation is discussed. The α-functionalisation of the keto-indole intermediate with electrophiles provided access to C4-functionalised β-carbolines. The one-pot protocol for this sequence was also developed. 2.3 A protected pyruvate equivalent that allows the α-arylation and α-arylation/alkylation reactions to be carried out at the methyl group via Pd-catalysed enolate arylation is presented. The deprotection of the OBO moiety allows the formation mono and multiply α-functionalised pyruvates. 2.4 The synthesis of isoquinoline, β-carboline and indole esters via Pd-catalysed enolate arylation of the OBO-protected pyruvate equivalent developed in this thesis is demonstrated. The functionalisation of these heterocycles via α-alkylation of the aryl-ketone intermediates is also discussed and some examples synthesised to validate the methodology.

This thesis aims to assess if biting mechanics drives craniofacial morphology in recent hominins. To that end, a virtual functional morphology toolkit, that includes Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Geometric Morphometrics (GM), is used to simulate biting, measure bite force and quantify deformations arising due to simulated biting in Homo sapiens and its proposed ancestral species, Homo heidelbergensis. Moreover, the mechanical significance of the frontal sinus and of the brow-ridge is also assessed in Kabwe 1 (a Homo heidelbergensis specimen). The frontal sinus is examined by comparing the mechanical performance in three FE models with varying sinus morphology. A similar approach is applied to the brow-ridge study. This approach relies on the assumption that FEA approximates reality. Thus, a validation study compares the deformations experienced by a real cranium under experimental loading with those experienced by an FE model under equivalent virtual loading to verify this assumption. A sensitivity analysis examines how simplifications in segmentation impact on FEA results. Lastly, the virtual reconstruction of Kabwe 1 is described. Results show that prediction of absolute strain magnitudes is not precise, but the distribution of regions of larger and smaller (i.e. pattern of) deformations experienced by the real cranium is reasonably approximated by FEA, despite discrepancies in the alveolus. Simplification of segmentation stiffens the model but has no impact on the pattern of deformations, with the exception of the alveolus. Comparison of the biting performance of Kabwe 1 and H. sapiens suggests that morphological differences between the two species are likely not driven by selection of the masticatory system. Frontal sinus morphogenesis and morphology are possibly impacted by biting mechanics in the sense that very low strains are experienced by this region. Because bone adapts to strains, the frontal sinus is possibly impacted by this mechanism. Lastly, biting mechanics has limited impact on brow-ridge morphology and does not explain fully the enormous brow-ridge of Kabwe 1. Hence, other explanations are necessary to explain this prominent feature.

This thesis includes three essays exploring some economic implications of queueing. A preliminary chapter introducing useful results from the literature which help contextualize the original research in the thesis is presented first. This introductory chapter starts by surveying queueing results from probability theory and operations research. Then it covers a few seminal papers on strategic queueing, mostly but not exclusively from the economics literature. These cover issues of individual and social welfare in the context of First Come First Served (FCFS) and Equitable Processor Sharing (EPS) queues, with one or multiple servers, as well as a discussion of strategic interactions surrounding queue cutting. Then an overview of some important papers on the impact of queueing on competitive behaviour, mostly Industrial Organization economists, is presented. The first original chapter presents a model for the endogenous determination of the number of queues in an M/M/2 system. Customers arriving at a system where two customers are being served play a game, choosing between two parallel queues or one single queue. Subgame perfect equilibria are obtained, varying with customer characteristics and game specifications. With risk neutrality and when jockeying is not permitted, a single queue is an equilibrium, as is two queues. With risk neutrality and jockeying allowed, there is a unique two queue equilibrium. With risk aversion and no jockeying, there is a unique single queue equilibrium, and with risk aversion and jockeying, the equilibrium depends on the magnitude of risk aversion. The second chapter analyses the individual decisions taken by consumers when deciding whether to join an M/M/1 queue where a subset of customers who interact repeatedly can both cut the queue and be overtaken once they join, by-passing occasional users. This is shown to be an equilibrium in repeated games for sufficiently patient customers. The expected sojourn time for customers under this discipline is described as a solution of a system of difference equations, and this is then used to obtain a threshold joining strategy for arrivals, which is independent of the number of regular customers in the queue, as regulars form a sub-queue under the LCFS discipline. Numerical methods are then employed to contrast sojourn times and thresholds with the equilibrium for a strict First Come First Served queueing discipline, and with the socially optimal joining rule. Finally, the third chapter describes a duopoly market for healthcare where one of the two providers is publicly owned and charges a price of zero, while the other sets a price so as to maximize its profit. Both providers are subject to congestion in the form of an M/M/1 queue, and they serve patient-customers with randomly distributed unit costs of time. Consumer demand (as market share) for both providers is obtained and described with its full complement of comparative statics. The private provider’s pricing decision is explored, and equilibrium existence is proven. Social welfare functions are described and the welfare maximizing condition obtained. Numerical simulations with uniform and Kumaraswamy distributions are performed for several parameter values, showcasing the pricing provider’s decision and its relationship with social welfare.

‘Good communication’ is often the assumed objective for the field and practice of communication design. But in attempting to facilitate ‘good communication,’ designers may potentially overlook the qualities of participation in communicative arenas that shape normative constructs of the publics of communication. At the same time, they might not attend to the particular political formations that emerge from and mobilise communication. I propose and develop the concept of miscommunication and the practice of miscommunication design as a way to query these assumptions from within communication design. Because communication design has become more centrally involved with socially and politically engaged design practices, approaches to communication are critical for taking account of how political engagements unfold. In this study, I explore that which diverts from ‘good communication,’ by exploring miscommunication as a powerful and transformative part of communication that could generate new modes of practice and recast the field of communication design as a diverse activity open to eco-political modalities of practice. I develop this research by analysing a set of creative practice projects that work through and trouble communicative actors and settings. I further support these analyses through the development of a set of exploratory practices that explore sites of political encounters and political possibilities. Drawing from the work of Michel Serres and Isabelle Stengers, I work through three figures of miscommunication, including the parasite, the idiot and the diplomat. With these figures, I expand on distinct possibilities for a practice in miscommunication design by investigating forms of noise that interfere with good communication, by working with impasses to communication through apparent moments of nonsense, and by setting up translational encounters shaped by miscommunication. On the basis of working through these three figures of miscommunication, I propose a set of inventive practices that seek to multiply modes of encounter and political formations within the field of communication design. These inventive practices are structured as ‘political scenes,’ a concept and term that draws on the work of Stengers and that refers to a practical grounding of the political. Political scenes can challenge common communication design practices by working with miscommunication that emerges from specific situations. Moreover, political scenes reposition the designer as a participant in communication who is informed by the affective, performative and material dimensions of communication, and is also seen as an interfering part of communication. In this way, political scenes can foster and explore a new set of connections and communicative formations that matter to the field of communication design because they create the possibility for new qualities of participation in communicative arenas, which may in turn give rise to new political ideas and questions, along with new possibilities for collective formations.

From its inception, behavioural economics’ mission has been to bring deeper psychological insights into economics. Relying mostly on experimental data, this field became notorious for providing evidence of the shortcomings of standard economic models in predicting human behaviour. These findings motivated a first generation of behavioural models, which tried to systematise this departure from standard economics. However, these initial attempts were widely criticised for their methods (these models were argued to lack the tractability, systematic approach and level of generality desired by economic science) and for their lack of relevance for economic phenomena (markets, evolution and arbitrage would drive away behavioural biases). This criticism motivated a second wave of behavioural models, which augmented neo-classical frameworks with psychologically realistic behavioural assumptions. This approach allowed this field to establish a link to previous results of economics and address criticisms about the relevance of behavioural findings in markets. A further step in the direction of linking behavioural models and standard theory is to introduce learning to behavioural models. While this concept has been largely absent from behavioural economics’ analysis of markets for technical reasons, its presence is necessary for two reasons. First, learning is commonly used to dismiss (behaviourally motivated) consumer mistakes, so it is crucial to study whether existing results of this literature will be robust to this variation. Second, in a world which is constantly evolving, learning in itself is an important driver of economic phenomena and, hence, should not be dismissed by this field. In this thesis, I augment previous behavioural models by studying their existence in environments with consumer learning. By extending static behavioural problems to dynamic environments with learning, I am able to explain puzzles in the areas of technology adoption and contract theory. In chapter 1, I propose that status considerations – a feature of consumers’ preferences overlooked by classical theory – can have positive effects in society whenever they are considered in an environment with active learning (i.e., experimentation). In chapter 2 and 3, I show that when naıve of behavioural consumers (who lack self-awareness about their preferences) can learn, pricing methods in subscription contracts, which were previously unexplained by standard contract theory, can be shown to be the optimal response of firms trying to prevent consumer learning.

The possibility of combining several constituents to obtain properties that cannot be obtained with any of them alone, explains the growing proliferation of composites in mechanical structures. However, the modelling of such heterogeneous systems poses extreme challenges to computational mechanics. The direct simulation of the aforementioned gives rise to computational models that are extremely expensive if not impossible to solve. Through homogenisation, the excessive computational burden is eliminated by separating the two scales (the scale of the constituents and the scale of the structure). Nonetheless, the hypotheses under which homogenisation applies are usually violated. Traditional homogenisation schemes provide no means to quantify this error. The �rst contribution of this thesis is the development of a method to quantify the homogenisation error. In this method, the heterogeneous medium is represented by a stochastic partial di�erential equation where each realisation corresponds to a particle layout. This representation allows us to derive guaranteed error estimates with a low computational cost. The e�ectivity (ratio between true error and estimate) is characterised and a relation is established between the error estimates and classical results in micromechanics. Moreover, a strategy to reduce the homogenisation error is presented. The second contribution of this thesis is made by developing a numerical method with guaranteed error bounds that directly approximates the solution of heterogeneous models by using shape functions that incorporate information of the microscale. The construction of those shape functions resembles the methods of computational homogenisation where microscale boundary value problems are solved to obtain homogenised properties.

Bacteriophages (phages) are obligate intracellular parasites of bacteria that usually kill the bacterial host. Bacteriophage therapy is a recently revived approach for treating bacterial infection that relies on the traits of the phage lytic cycle. A lot of attention has been given to phage therapy with new research being published weekly and international conferences organised every year, bringing together the academic and industrial phage communities. However, despite this huge effort and considerable scientific interest there is still a great lack of understanding on how to use phage effectively and overcome the many obstacles in the near future. One of the main triggers for such interest was the increasing evidence of antibiotic resistance among human bacterial pathogens, which were once efficiently eliminated by drugs but are now causing alarmingly high levels of morbidity and mortality. Also, bacteria when causing a disease are able to produce highly protective biofilm communities. Biofilms are major causes of impairment of wound healing and two of the most common and aggressive wound pathogens are Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative), both displaying a large repertoire of virulence factors and reduced susceptibility to antibiotics. This work reports and explores the use of phages to target both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa pathogen biofilm producers. Firstly, isolation of promising phage candidates was performed and cocktails were established. Two phages (DRA88 and phage K) formed the cocktail to target S. aureus and six phages (DL52, DL54, DL60, DL62, DL64 and DL68) formed a cocktail to target P. aeruginosa. A thorough characterisation of each of the selected phages was performed, including their range of host infectivity and their genome sequences were analysed. The phage’s ability to infect and kill planktonic cultures was successfully studied and afterwards such ability was assayed on biofilms using an in vitro static biofilm system (microtitre-plate), followed by an in vitro dynamic biofilm system (The Modified Robbins Device). Both cocktails were shown to be effective in reducing and dispersing biofilms formed by the clinical strains showing them to be promising not only to combat topical bacterial infections (related to biofilm production), but also to control biofilms produced on the surfaces of medical devices, such as catheters. Finally, the phage cocktail’s ability to treat systemic infections caused by the two pathogens was assessed in an in vivo G. mellonella infection model. In the case of the P. aeruginosa infection, although the phages were not able to fully treat the larvae, the cocktail allowed a delay of larval death, caused by the infection. For the S. aureus infection, the cocktail did not show the same trend, but most likely the high bacterial cell numbers involved in the experiment interfered with a successful study on the phage cocktail. The phage mixture may form the basis of an effective treatment for infections caused by S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms.

This thesis is a comparative case-study of how teachers in England and Portugal conceptualise and respond to pupil diversity in the context of individual planning. The purpose is to compare the processes and underlying assumptions in the two countries, in order to understand the impact of cultural aspects and of system characteristics on the phenomenon of individual planning. The research was conducted through a nested case-study approach in 10 schools in England and six schools in Portugal. The methods used were interviews with practitioners and analysis of individual planning documents. This study was done by following the cases of 41 pupils, who were identified by their teachers as ‘needing individual planning’, over a two-year period. The most common form of individual planning mentioned in educational policy are Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for pupils with ‘Special Education Needs’ (e.g. UK SEN 2001 Code of Practice, Portuguese Law 3/2008). Despite the apparent similarities, what is meant by IEPs in educational policy varies significantly. In this study, a comparative analytical cultural-historical framework (Artiles & Dyson 2005) and a ‘societal approach’ (Hantrais & Mangen 2007) were useful theoretical resources to overcome these challenges. This thesis presents an original approach to individual planning by looking beyond ‘special needs’ and national boundaries. The research identifies responses associated with individual planning and problematizes this practice as a solution to the challenges posed by student diversity to schools. This process is done with reference to the unstated assumptions about normality and difference proposed by Minow (1990).The study concludes that teachers conceptualise and respond to pupil diversity through a formulaic problem-solving approach. This approach is based on limited repertoires that are underpinned by contextual factors such as educational policy. These repertoires are wider and more flexible in England than in Portugal.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the process of control and learning of interceptive actions towards accelerating moving targets. The first chapter provides an introduction to the theoretical background adopted as well as the issues addressed in the thesis. The second chapter provides the general information about the method used in the experimental chapters. In chapter 3, the reported study investigated whether the usual bias in performance when intercepting accelerated targets (accelerated targets are timed too late and decelerating ones too early) changes over a period of practice. Participants were asked to manually hit moving targets and the results showed that after a few blocks trials they were able to intercept (positive and negative) accelerating moving targets as accurately as constant speed ones. Chapter4 further investigated the differences in performance when intercepting accelerated and constant speed objects by testing the hypothesis as to whether people are able to acquire internal model for interception. Participants were trained to intercept accelerating (exp.1) and decelerating (exp.2) targets in order to acquire an internal model for the arbitrary acceleration with which the targets were moving. Results indicated that, after a short period of practice, participants accurately intercept the targets under accelerated motion (i.e. acceleration and deceleration) and showed after-effects due to learning on trials where the motion was altered to constant, corroborating with the idea of internal models for interception. In Chapter 5, the experiment sought to investigate the effects on movement constraint in the interception of moving targets. Participants used a pendulum to intercept targets moving under constant and accelerated motion. Results showed that participant’s responses were earlier for slow targets and later for fast, which is inconsistent with the hypothesis of the use of an invariant perceptual variable for movement initiation. The final chapter provides a summary of the main findings and conclusions.

This practice-based research examines the relation between power, space, and photography, in relation to the office. It aims to investigate working conditions in service-based society, by addressing its dominant form of work: office work. Based on the hypothesis that office space has an effect on how office workers are made to work and feel, that it has not been sufficiently nor adequately addressed in documentary photography, the research proposes to employ documentary photography to investigate the relation between power and space in the office in relation both to actual offices and to their existing representations. Its questions are: how is space a means to exercise power in the office? Can this question be investigated through documentary photography? How, given the critique of documentary's (positivist) claims to truth? The research developed the concepts of witnessing and intervention as methods for the practice, positing documentary practice as the deliberate process of recording reality from a critical point of view, with the aim of making reality visible through images understood as visual arguments, thereby aspiring to criticality. Underpinned by a Foucauldian notion of power, the research developed an empirical visual enquiry accessing nearly fifty offices located in the City and Canary Wharf, London, informed by a study of power and space within organisation theory, organisation psychology and architecture and office design. The research produced a visual work titled The Politics of the Office comprising 128 photographs that give visibility to spatial power relations of hierarchy and control, physical and symbolic, and intervene in the structures of the photographic representation of the office space, through their visual strategy and their presentation as installation, thereby extending the documentary representation of the office space. The research further contributes to the theory of documentary photography by developing the concepts of witnessing and intervention. The research contributes to the understanding of spatial power relations in offices by allowing witnessing images of actual offices that are largely inaccessible to the general public.

This thesis examines the use of the trombone in Portugal between the first references to its use in the early sixteenth century and the mid nineteenth century. It is primarily based on archival research and supplemented by literary and iconographical references. This material is presented in calendar form in Volume II as Appendix 1. Volume I consists of a series of chapters that analyse and contextualise material from the Calendar. For the earlier period the thesis focuses on the use of the trombone in royal service, and in doing so provides a detailed survey of the Portuguese royal shawm band. The use of the trombone outwith royal service it is also examined. Issues relating to terminology and instrument making in Portugal are discussed. By examining sixteenth century iconographical sources with links to Portugal, this study addresses questions concerning aspects of trombone technique that have not previously been considered and have implication elsewhere in Europe. It considers the decline of the trombone during the second half of the seventeenth century and its resurgence in the later years of the eighteenth century. It identifies the earliest orchestral repertoire containing trombones that emerges in Portugal during the last decade of the eighteenth century, as well as the first trombone players of the beginning of the nineteenth century in military bands and orchestras in Lisbon. Finally, the thesis considers the class of brass instruments of the Royal Conservatoire of Lisbon and its professors, and examines the earliest surviving trombone methods in Portugal, which introduce aspects of performance practice that are not mentioned in other contemporary sources.