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Classical and Christian education has proliferated across education sectors over the last decade. As a result, school leaders must implement these timeless philosophies of education and navigate such high demand. This dissertation seeks to equip relevant parties with research about what drives their skyrocketing enrollment and how to support school leaders and their governing boards. My first chapter uses in-person focus groups to understand the school choices of 25 parents whose children are enrolled in Texas-based classical charter schools. I explore the ways in which parents found their children's school; what made them enroll their children; and whether they are satisfied with their choice. Summarily, most parents report high levels of satisfaction and chose their children's school because of the classical philosophy of education and commensurate academic program. They claim that their children's classical charter school provides the education that it claims to offer. In the second chapter, I use conjoint analysis to examine whether academic achievement, education, and experience impact the likelihood of head of school hire by 141 Christian school board members. Conjoint analysis allows researchers to identify whether and to what degree each characteristic has a causal impact on the likelihood that hypothetical candidates will be hired by hiring personnel. I find evidence that board members place a premium on strong academic achievement and qualifications, extensive teaching or leadership experience, and graduation from a postsecondary institution sharing their school's religious tradition. In my third chapter, I use survey data from the Society for Classical Learning to understand the relationship between 147 heads of school and their governing boards. I use Ordinary Least Squares regression to isolate the board-head relationship and quantify the degree to which mutual trust and perceived care affect head of school health, happiness, stress, and professional well-being. The research shows that mutual trust between classical Christian heads of school and their boards decreases the head's likelihood of wanting to quit and positively impacts head of school faith, feelings of loneliness, and satisfaction with their governing board. Similarly, heads of school are more likely to flourish when they feel like their board cares for their personal well-being, soul, and family. [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 study investigated the impact that co-curricular programming delivered by the University Honors Program (UHP) at North Carolina State University through the Honors Forum course had on first-year students' self-reported knowledge of civil discourse, their assessment of its importance and impact, and their evaluation of their commitment to the skills and values related to it. The Honors Forum is designed to help students develop a broad worldview by exposing them to lectures by scholars and public figures, panel discussions about contemporary societal debates, peer-facilitated discussions about books, films, and current events, and conversations with faculty and UHP graduates. This project randomly assigned incoming students to one of two groups. The control group experienced the Honors Forum as it has traditionally been offered. The treatment group completed a modified version of the course that included a program called "How We Argue." The program taught argument mapping and systematic empathy to help students develop the skills to analyze arguments and discuss challenging issues constructively. Students in both sections of the course completed pretest and posttest surveys. The instruments included demographic questions and statements across five categories: Knowledge, Importance, Skills, Values, and Impact. The category scores were summed to produce a Total score. Statistical tests conducted at the end of the semester focused on assessing how participation in the Honors Forum affected student perceptions of civil discourse and determining if there were differences between the treatment and control groups. The analysis of the treatment group detected higher scores and statistically significant differences between the pretest and posttest scores for all categories and the Total score. For the control group, the posttest scores were higher for the Total score and all categories. In addition, statistically significant differences were detected for the Total score and all categories except the Impact category. Comparisons of the posttest scores for the treatment group and control group detected higher scores for the treatment group in all categories and for the Total score. Statistically significant differences were detected for the Total score, Knowledge category, and Impact category. Analysis of the mean difference scores detected higher scores for the treatment group for the Total score and in all categories except for the Importance category. Statistically significant differences were detected for the Total score, Knowledge category, and Skills category. The project results suggest that the standard version of the Honors Forum and the treatment version of the course positively affect student perceptions of civil discourse. The results also suggest that the treatment version of the course is more impactful than the standard version. [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 dissertation examines the evolution of supervision among new student affairs professionals, exploring the transformative journey from graduate school to full-time roles. Drawing upon qualitative research methods, the study delves into the experiences and perceptions of new student affairs professionals as they navigate their supervisory responsibilities within the first five years. Through thematic analysis, the findings reveal several key insights. Firstly, graduate assistantship experiences serve as foundational pillars, providing invaluable opportunities for anticipatory socialization and skill development. Secondly, the importance of formal onboarding processes emerges, highlighting the need for tailored training initiatives to address knowledge and skill gaps in supervision. Thirdly, peer learning and mentorship are identified as crucial elements in the professional development of new supervisors, emphasizing the significance of fostering supportive networks within the field. Finally, reflective practice emerges as a cornerstone in the evolution of supervision, underscoring the importance of ongoing self-reflection and continuous learning. These findings offer practical implications for enhancing training, onboarding, mentorship, and supervisory practices in student affairs. By implementing recommendations derived from this study, institutions can better support the professional development and success of new supervisors, ultimately enriching the student affairs landscape. [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.]

Differing attitudes to the expected life and value of architecture characterize the sustainability debate, yet space itself is rarely mentioned. The buildings for which architecture is responsible comprise both space and materials. While it is taken for granted that some existing buildings can be reused productively, this cultural phenomenon has not influenced the design of the new stock. While content to revere old buildings, the qualities that make them valued have not influenced design principles for new projects. Should new buildings be designed and built for their initial use only, often to be demolished as soon as the initial purpose has run its course, or should they be designed to last? The quality of the space being built influences its long-term robustness. The quality of construction being used influences the resource equation. The conservation of resources and the avoidance of waste would be regarded as self-evident goals for any logically principled enterprise. The provision of buildings with material- and use-longevity begins to address important current environmental questions. In developing this logic, this thesis explores the conceptual and technical feasibility of designing buildings to accommodate sequences of uses. The concept of "Double-Design" responds to this challenge by allowing for both initial and later uses. The idea goes beyond a simple recommendation to incorporate adaptability towards support for the radical proposition that buildings should last for a very long time and should be useful for as long as they last. Thus Double-Design would ensure that flexibility and adaptability help both the initial use and subsequent uses. The compatibilities amongst the physical characteristics of buildings for different uses are assessed so that the initial design will allow for future change. Buildings need to be designed to achieve physical longevity with an associated capacity to continue functioning with smooth transitions between uses. A longitudinal case study of an educational building covering fifty years of use confirms the need to accommodate an extensive range of uncertainties in architectural design. This reinforces the requirement that flexibility and adaptability must be incorporated in design if lasting usefulness is to be achieved. Studies of flexibility and adaptability have confirmed their value. But there has been no exploration of the full extent to which multiple uses could be accommodated because of the intention of the original design. Establishing the value of the Double-Design concept would represent an important contribution to knowledge. The development of generative design software covering engineering and architecture may make the evaluation of designs possible based upon multiple sets of performance criteria related to different anticipated or possible uses. Several approaches to implementation are suggested, including the mandatory application of Double-Design using legislation. Resource conservation criteria covering materials and energy would need to be incorporated within health and safety regulations if the public interest is to be redefined. Favourable responses to the concept of Double-Design from the UK and international experts are recorded. The responsibility for commissioning new space reflects a particular distribution of economic and social power, and the physical environment will need to respond as this changes. Such a response will be more readily achieved if all new buildings incorporate Double-Design, thus improving the fit between future space needs and future available space and leading, albeit slowly, to a democratization of space. New logic in using resources emerges from this analysis, suggesting long-lasting materials are to be used to provide building infrastructure: the outer shell. In contrast, short-life sustainable or recyclable materials are to be used for the more frequently changed and responsive interior fit-outs.

This thesis investigates the fabrication and characterisation of economically viable functionalised surfaces for superhydrophobic and antimicrobial applications. This included the production of a ZnO incorporated PVC nanocomposite, a ZnO stearic acid latex paint, and a ZnO stearic acid polyurethane coating. All samples were produced while avoiding expensive raw materials and using manufacturing techniques viable for large scale production. To begin with, PVC and ZnO nanoparticles were identified as viable materials for an antimicrobial nanocomposite. Samples produced with compression moulding were then tested and proved to be qualitatively antimicrobial against both S. aureus and E. coli. Quantitatively, the samples were shown to kill 99.67% of E. coli, while only having a 58.78% kill against S. aureus. This was followed by mechanism testing that identified singlet oxygen as the nanocomposite's primary mechanism. A further study of S. aureus was able to rule out carotenoids as its primary method of defence against singlet oxygen. This work was followed by the development of a superhydrophobic paint. The paint was fabricated using predominantly ZnO or SiO2, stearic or palmitic acid, and one of four latexes. Once optimised, the surfaces underwent testing and analysis to determine both the surfaces' physical and chemical properties. This culminated with a surface producing an x̄ WCA (water contact angle) of 170.3°, while also displaying qualitative antimicrobial properties against both S. aureus and E. coli, while lacking sufficient quantitative antimicrobial properties. Finally, durable superhydrophobic polymer coatings were investigated. Both polyurethane and epoxy surfaces were combined with particles and fatty acids in an effort to produce the coatings. This work achieved a durable superhydrophobic polyurethane coating containing ZnO, with an x̄ WCA of 167.5°, qualitative antimicrobial properties against both S. aureus and E. coli, while again lacking sufficient quantitative antimicrobial properties.

Heritage is the physical evidence of human existence and expression with resounding benefits to society and communities. However, an ever-changing world presents constant threats, risking heritage's destruction or loss. 3D digitisation preserves physical heritage through its reconstitution to digital, augmenting the potential for dissemination within the digital domain. A disconnect between museums and emergent technologies presents a challenge for democratised 3D digitisation and management. Yet, museums and their communities are agents for transformation invested in heritage permanence, with digital literacies to suggest synergies with adapted 3D processes and engagement. An opportunity for intervention to support preservation of heritage through 3D digitisation while facilitating its promotion through engagement with emergent and immersive technologies is investigated in this thesis. Unexpectedly, COVID-19 caused major global disruption, threatening to destabilise connections to heritage and undermine functionalities of museums within their communities. Response to COVID-19 initiated innovation, leading to modified design for applicable stakeholder response. This dissertation investigates how application of accessible strategies empowers communities to actively engage with their heritage as 3D digital assets in a time of disruption. Practice-based research methodologies informed collaborative innovation with stakeholders and end users at various intersections of 3D preservation and promotion. Design of infrastructures and processes aid in engagement through laboratory research, deployed prototypes, and recognition of demands from COVID-19. Strategies for Preserving Heritage through Engagement Representation and Archiving (SPHERA) supports engagement with 3D assets through its Pillars, including creation of digital content, digital skills development and knowledge exchange, and infrastructures to facilitate digital heritage curation and engagement. Guiding Principles and best Practice workflows support implementation of SPHERA as part of original contributions for this dissertation. Leveraging emergent technologies for communities and museums to preserve and promote heritage improves engagement and accessibility with consequential social benefits and wellbeing, and is an area of potential for the future.

This study analyzed the impacts of participation in short-term study abroad programs at Oklahoma community colleges through a quantitative research design. Student retention and degree completion are concerns for all types of higher education institutions, but U.S. community colleges experience an even greater struggle to retain students from freshman to sophomore year than four-year institutions (Braxton, 2013; Fike & Fike, 2008; Cohen, 1996). Research shows that participants in study abroad at four-year institutions are better retained and more likely to complete a degree than students who do not participate in study abroad (Hamir, 2011; Posey, 2003; Sutton & Rubin, 2010). The purpose of this study was to determine if similar outcomes for retention and degree completion are true for U.S. community college students who participate in study abroad programs. First, descriptive statistics were utilized to evaluate demographics of study abroad participants and non-participants. Second, two Chi-Square Tests of Independence were used to identify impacts of study abroad participation on retention and degree completion. Results indicated a significant relationship between community college study abroad participation with both retention and degree completion. It was concluded that students who participate in community college study abroad programs are more likely to be retained and complete a degree. Study abroad could serve as a strategy for U.S. community colleges to boost retention and degree completion rates given thoughtful consideration of common barriers such as lack of institutional funding, limited resources, and negative student perceptions. [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.]

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a chronic and limiting condition, with a significant symptom burden that patients struggle to manage as the condition progresses. Patients often rely on support from family carers, who take on many responsibilities to help assist with self-care and management of symptoms. Evidence has found that carers experience poor quality of life linked to their caring role, and are in need of improved services and information to support them in their role. Aim: To develop and examine the feasibility and acceptability of a co-designed psychoeducational intervention for carers of patients with HF. Methods: A six-week online psychoeducational intervention was developed using a rigorous and systematic process, informed by theory and evidence, with a co-design approach used throughout. The intervention consisted of: 6 x support group sessions and a tailored information book. A convergent mixed methods design was used to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Quantitative data examined recruitment rates, intervention adherence, and attrition. Six validated questionnaires measured a range of outcomes at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks, to explore appropriate outcome measures, and a sample size for a future trial. Qualitative data was collected via post-intervention focus groups to examine the acceptability of the intervention. Results: 22 participants took part in the study, and a low attrition rate of 14.3% (n=3) was found. The majority of participants completed all support group sessions (67%, n=12). Findings indicated participants felt a reduction in stress and worry, improvement in knowledge about HF and services for carers, and valued the supportive environment. A large effect size improvement was also found in the level of carer preparedness at 12 weeks follow-up (g=0.8). Conclusion: An online psychoeducational intervention for carers of patients with HF is acceptable and feasible, supporting progression into a future larger trial.

Nurture groups, originally developed by Marjorie Boxall in 1969, are defined as an in-school resource for primary school children whose emotional, social, behavioural and educational needs cannot be met in a mainstream classroom. Boxall felt that the difficulties faced by these children stemmed from early years spent in homes which could not give them the nurturing they needed. The main premise of a nurture group is to interact with the pupil in a way that is appropriate for their developmental age, rather than their chronological age. Previous research has suggested that nurture groups are an effective intervention and pre- and post-measures with pupils and information gathered from school staff have been encouraging. Less research has been carried out with families of children who attend nurture groups. This research seeks to explore parental knowledge and experience of nurture groups in Northern Ireland. The researcher utilised a pragmatic philosophical stance. This study employed a convergent, parallel mixed methods design. Participants were parents and carers whose child was attending or had attended a nurture group in Northern Ireland. A link to a questionnaire was sent by the school, 21 participants completed the questionnaire. Interviews were conducted with 7 parents/carers whose child previously attended a nurture group in one school. Descriptive statistics were carried out on the quantitative phase of the study and Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. The findings were combined and discussed in relation to previous research in the field. The findings were overwhelmingly positive.

The increased emphasis on teachers' application of standardised data to support educational improvement reflects the wider movement towards evidence-based policy and practice, both in education and other fields. At the heart of these data-related reform measures lies the assumption that standardised data will be used by teachers to improve pedagogy and as a result, learning will improve. But it is increasingly acknowledged that more attention needs to be given to the development of the capacities and dispositions which teachers need, to make effective use of standardised data for this purpose. This study explored primary teachers' use of standardised data, as well as teachers' knowledge, confidence and attitudes pertaining to the application of standardised data to improve pedagogy. A quantitative questionnaire was administered to the teachers in the primary schools within an Area Learning Community in Northern Ireland and following this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of the participating teachers. The findings within this study, suggest that primary teachers are making very limited use of standardised data for pedagogical purposes and that there is a disconnect between the data-related classroom practices to which educational policies aspire and teachers' classroom practices. Teachers very frequently lack the knowledge, confidence and attitudes needed to make effective individual and collaborative use of standardised data to improve the quality of instruction, and this is having a detrimental impact upon the way in which teachers use these data. However, the findings also demonstrate that the lack of expectations, the limited opportunities for collaborative dialogue, the restrictive professional development opportunities, and shortfalls in teacher education, are also contributing to teachers' ineffective use of standardised data, in relation to the improvement of pedagogy. The most critical challenge for school leaders is to provide primary teachers with data-related professional development opportunities, which are underpinned by an appreciation of the influence of teachers' capacities and dispositions upon the data use process and by an understanding of the factors which contribute to these capacities and dispositions. These opportunities must explicitly develop the knowledge, confidence and attitudes which teachers need, to make effective individual and collaborative use of standardised data to improve their pedagogical decisions. The recommended approach to teachers' data-related professional development is Mandinach and Gummer's (2016) 'Data Literacy For Teachers' (DLFT) framework. Inspired by research, it represents a positive step towards ensuring that the effective use of standardised data for pedagogical purposes gathers the momentum it currently lacks, and that standardised data begin to fulfil their potential in relation to improving the quality of both teaching and learning.

Deterministic implantation of single bismuth ions in silicon is demonstrated using a focused ion beam (FIB) tool named the Single Ion Multi-species Positioning at Low Energy (SIMPLE) tool, manufactured by Ionoptika Ltd. Atomic scale fabrication is required if we are to realise the existing designs of many semiconductor quantum technologies and single ion implantation is a versatile and capable method of manufacture for such technologies. The difficulty of single ion implantation is knowing that a single ion has been implanted in the target substrate. This has been achieved through the detection of secondary electrons generated upon ion impact. The measure of how likely it is that a single ion implant is detected is the detection efficiency, and the majority of the work in this project was devoted to determining and improving this. The work covers the build and test of a focused ion beam instrument designed to implant single ions, to enable the fabrication of quantum technologies and other single atom device. Throughout, the path to achieving single ion implantation is recorded, covering investigations into the pulse length calibration, metrological investigations into measuring femto-amp currents, and the development of the secondary electron detection system. The results section presents data from implantation of single bismuth and gold ions with different charge states into different material substrates, to determine the detection efficiency for single ion implants and the factors which affect such detection efficiencies. It has been found that for 50 keV implants of Bi++ into silicon we can achieve an 89% detection efficiency, the highest reported detection efficiency for single ion implants into silicon without implanting through a SiO2 film. Detection efficiency values of 100% are reported for Bi++ implants into thick SiO2 layers. This level of precision enables the doping of single impurity ions with a success rate far exceeding that achievable by random (Poissonian) implantation. Targeted implantation of low numbers of ions into a 1 μm width channel of a field effect transistor is experimentally proven. Demonstrating high precision in the positioning of ions, as well as the number of ions implanted.

The deregulation of kinase cascades drives the development and survival of many human tumours. Kinase-targeted therapeutics therefore offer great promise for 'personalised' medicine. However, the beneficial effects of kinase inhibition are often short-lived due to the evolution of drug resistance. Whilst we know that reprogramming of phosphorylation networks underpins drug resistance, the specific role of protein phosphatases in these processes remains largely unexplored. Using a mixture of conventional biochemical approaches and high content microscopy, we have evaluated spatial and temporal components of ERK activation in response to the administration or cessation of the MEK inhibitor AZD6244, in mutant BRAF- and KRAS-driven colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and their AZD6244-resistant derivatives. We have also determined the expression patterns of several MAPK phosphatases (MKPs) in these cell models and have correlated a robust induction of DUSP4, DUSP5 and DUSP6 with AZD6244 removal, ERK hyperactivation and nuclear accumulation of ERK in AZD6244-resistant CRC cells. The ablation of DUSP5 expression in these conditions led to enhanced ERK hyperactivation and reduced E-cadherin expression in AZD6244-resistant HCT116 cells which were previously shown to undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in response to AZD6244 withdrawal. In AZD6244-resistant HT29 cells, where AZD6244 deprivation leads to cell death, DUSP5 loss had subtle, but inconclusive effects on p-ERK and downstream effectors. This work emphasizes the influential and highly context-dependent role that MKP regulation has in ERK-driven oncogenesis and drug-resistance and has contributed to our current understanding of signal reprogramming events that frequently occur in response to ERK pathway inhibition.

Non-adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is a key barrier in asthma management. However, few studies have explored patterns of non-adherence and the reasons for variations in adherence in young people with problematic asthma. The aim of this thesis is to explore the potentially modifiable determinants of non-adherence in young people with problematic severe asthma in a tertiary care setting. This PhD comprises a systematic review of interventions to improve adherence in children with asthma; an analysis of patterns of non-adherence; a qualitative study of patients with poor adherence; and an adaptation study of the Beliefs About Medicine Questionnaire (BMQ). Each of these informs identification of interventions to improve adherence. The review found that current interventions have limited effectiveness, with only half of the included trials able to improve ICS adherence (9/18). More complex interventions, tailored to the patient, which addressed both perceptions and practical aspects of non-adherence were more likely to be effective. Secondary analysis of electronic adherence data from this population (n=93) identified adherence patterns which have implications for intervention development. The interview study (n=20) identified perceptual determinants (e.g. poor understanding of asthma and ICS) and practical determinants (e.g. no routine and forgetfulness) of non-adherence. These findings informed an adaption of the BMQ to identify beliefs underlying treatment non-adherence in this population; initial piloting (n=30) revealed high overall internal reliability but further research is needed to validate the questionnaire. This PhD highlights the need for a tailored intervention for non-adherent young people with problematic asthma which addresses perceptual and practical barriers to adherence. The PhD identified new barriers to adherence including key differences between adults and young children. A belief-based questionnaire could be used to identify modifiable beliefs for inclusion in a tailored intervention addressing both perceptual and practical barriers for adherence to ICS.

This project critically evaluates the existing research conducted on the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions designed to promote the social and emotional development in preschool children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study is to identify evidence-based interventions for children ages three to six years with autism spectrum disorder that promote socio-emotional development and are implemented in the school setting. The study will inform clinicians, medical professionals, families of children with ASD, and educational institutions about the existing interventions available for implementation and the benefits of these interventions for children across settings. An ecological systems theory approach will be applied to analyze the interventions based on their personal characteristics, consideration of the reciprocal processes between child and context, consideration of the multiple contexts in which a child operates, as well as their ecological validity (real-world application). [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 situated at the nexus of race, racism, and care in education law, policy, and practice. State takeovers of schools and school districts in the United States have been rising for over thirty years, significantly increasing in the past decade. These takeovers raise questions of equity, accountability, integrity, and capability in many areas, specifically in terms of educating the nation's youth living in urban settings. State-led reconstitutions of schools and school districts have been and continue to be linked to racialized policy agendas, most notably those that seek to disenfranchise, dispossess, and confine Black and Brown students, families, and communities. As a result, this research focuses on how the state's control of public schools and school districts is permeated by white supremacy, anti-black sentiment, and a lack of care for those impacted. This research aims to explore how policies and discourses that enable and sustain state takeovers of public schools and school districts contribute to and maintain Black and Brown peoples' racial subordination. In particular, this work focuses on the roles of race, racism, and civil rights within these policies and discourses pertaining to current state takeovers. The first two manuscripts of this three-manuscript dissertation employs a dialectical-relational approach to critical discourse analysis to focus specifically on state takeover policy and discourses surrounding the Little Rock School District and the Lawrence Public School District. Additionally, this study aimed to address the void in the literature surrounding community voices and the intersections of critical care and race in state takeover policy by analyzing the narratives of Black and Brown peoples currently faced with a state takeover. The third manuscript utilizes a critical race care framework and phenomenological approach to thematic analysis to examine the lived realities of Black and Brown peoples now faced with a state takeover and left out of the state takeover narrative. This study asserts that state takeover policies maintain whiteness and white supremacy in urban school districts and education policy and are acts of dispossessing Black and Brown communities of their political power and their rights to self-determination, education, and existence in particular geographic locations. [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.]

Background: There are ethnic variations in health behaviours in adolescence that track into adulthood and determine health outcomes. It is important to understand how these ethnic variations are influenced by factors such as the family environment so this thesis aimed to investigate whether ethnic variations in adolescent substance use, diet, and physical activity are mediated or moderated by parenting styles. Ethnic variations in adolescent health behaviours may also be moderated in strength by acculturation, and any investigation of parenting styles as a mediator needs to account for intermediate confounding by structural inequalities. Methods: Data were taken from the second wave of the, London-based, UK DASH study. These data were collected from 4,779 adolescents, aged 14-16 years old, between 2005 and 2006. The ethnic diversity of the DASH study allows for investigation of differences between major UK ethnic groups. Outcome measures include substance use (smoking, alcohol, and illicit drug use), fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, body size, and clusters of health behaviours (identified by latent class analysis). Logistic regression analysis and marginal structural modelling were used to investigate whether ethnic variations in adolescent health behaviours were mediated or moderated by cultural values, or parenting styles. This approach allows for intermediate confounding by structural inequalities. Results: Adolescent health behaviours varied by ethnicity and some variations were moderated by cultural factors, tending to be weaker where adolescents were more acculturated. Ethnic minority adolescents were less likely than White UK adolescents to engage in substance use behaviours but tended to have more unhealthy diets. Structural inequalities did not fully explain these ethnic variations. Compared to White UK adolescents, ethnic minority adolescents were more likely to perceive Authoritative or Authoritarian styles of parenting, characterised by higher parental control. Adolescents who perceived more Authoritative or Permissive styles of parenting, characterised by higher parental care, tended to have healthier behaviours. In general, the results of marginal structural models indicate that intervening on parenting styles would not remove ethnic variations in adolescent health behaviours, though this may be because the effects of Authoritarian and Authoritative parenting would to some extent cancel each other out. Conclusion: Although intervening to modify parenting styles may improve adolescent health behaviours in general, further research is needed to better understand the role of cultural factors in influencing ethnic variations.

Background: There is increasing recognition that mental health problems first emerge in childhood and that research and clinical practice should focus on prevention, early intervention and improving young people’s access to support. Single-session interventions (SSIs) have shown promise in community health settings, including with youth samples. However, there has been a recent drive to integrate mental health strategies into educational settings such as schools. As such, there is a need to explore how SSIs might contribute to this goal. Methods: First, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted, drawing papers from three leading databases in psychology, medicine and education. This summarised current evidence of the effectiveness of SSIs, delivered in educational settings, on youth internalizing problems. Second, an empirical study explored how a mindset SSI might be trialled in primary schools. The study explored the intervention’s feasibility and acceptability to children in Year 5 and 6 (aged 9-11 years old), their parents and teachers. Results: Meta-analyses of 8 studies (n=2,082) estimated a medium effect of SSIs in educational settings for reducing depressive symptoms (g = -0.44, 95% CI -0.93 – 0.05) and for reducing anxiety symptoms (g = -0.62, 95% CI -1.35 – 0.11). The empirical study indicated that a single-session, mindset intervention is feasible to implement in UK primary schools and acceptable to pupils, parents and teachers. It also suggests that the intervention shows promise as a strategy for the prevention of mental health problems in children. Conclusion: Taken together, these papers suggest that SSIs may be a viable, cost-effective means of prevention or intervention for youth mental health problems – even when delivered in educational settings. They highlight the infancy of research in this field, the significant variety between models of intervention and the need for future studies to consolidate or build upon existing evidence.

The traits of organisms – their physiological, behavioural or life-history characteristics – determine their ability to both mediate and respond to their environment. Quantification of traits offers a valuable utility through which to represent the functional roles and contributions of species, allowing incorporation of species performance into projections of environmental or ecological change. However, by the predominant use of single or mean trait values, a majority of current trait-based approaches implicitly assume that conspecific individuals are identical, and that species performance will be unaffected by environmental variation. Environmental gradients across spatiotemporal scales and increasing impacts from anthropogenic activity mean that global ecosystems are not uniformly exposed to the same suite of biotic and abiotic factors. The trait expression of component organisms is known to shift in response to these factors, potentially altering species functional contributions, and complicating efforts to predict ecosystem functioning and service provision in the face of widespread change. Under conventional approaches, understanding of ecosystems and recommendations to ecosystem management may be in error. Quantification of intraspecific trait variation may contribute to alleviating these issues, yet this approach has so far received little attention. Here, I explicitly incorporate the magnitude of intraspecific variation into trait-based study, using laboratory-based mesocosm experiments of benthic model systems. My results demonstrate that intraspecific trait variability arises in response to a number of differing biotic and abiotic factors. I show that this variability mechanistically underpins species-level trait responses, forming a fundamental component of biodiversity that determines species interactions and contributions to ecosystem functioning. By developing trait metrics that incorporate this intraspecific variability, I then demonstrate empirically that acknowledging the context-dependency of species’ trait expression alters their assumed functional contributions. While species identity effects prevail across varying contexts, intraspecific trait expression underpins and identifies mechanisms of ecosystem change. Collectively my findings comprise a novel and concise demonstration that quantifying intraspecific traits illuminates the sensitivity of organisms, highlighting the responsiveness of species to ecosystem change. In particular, I draw attention to the extent and importance of dissimilarity between what widely used methodologies would dictate to be identical trait identities. I show that integrating quantification of individual-level trait expression into trait-based ecosystem study adds value, offering mechanistic understanding as to the drivers of community- or ecosystem-level change. In doing so, I highlight the potential benefit these techniques may offer to improve predictive capacities. I conclude that, in order to understand and project the ecosystem consequences of environmental change, it will be necessary to acknowledge the full biodiversity in, and informative capacity offered by, natural systems and the intraspecific diversity they contain.

This research set out to explore how teachers are adapting to changes to the nature of the profession of teaching associated with the widespread permeation of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools and the wider society. ICT is changing the landscape of teaching in ways that present many enhancement opportunities, but the journey from policy statements and strategies to acceptance and implementation on the ground is a complex one. Such strategies are mediated by the complex web of diverse perspectives emerging from the individual lives and professional experiences of the teachers tasked with implementing them. The sociocultural concept of identity was chosen as a framework to explore teachers’ responses to this changing environment from the context of the personal, political, and professional elements that constitute the landscape within which teachers operate. Within this research, teacher identity is conceptualised as part of a wider personal identity that is multi-dimensional and fluid. ICT is theorised as a tool that acts to mediate many of the processes involved in teaching. The main questions the research sought to answer are: 1. How do teachers navigate their professional identities in an increasingly technology-mediated social and education context? 2. How do aspects of teacher identity mediate the integration of ICT into teachers’ practices? In gathering the data, interviews with a biographical focus were employed to encourage teachers to recount their career journeys and their experience of, and engagement with, ICT over the course of their teaching careers. Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) was used to analyse the teachers’ narratives in light of key themes identified in the teacher identity literature and emerging themes that were identified in the interviews themselves. Five themes were identified across the teacher narratives: • Attitudes and beliefs • Autonomy • Teaching landscape • Affective aspects • Professional learning. The teachers in this study were found to experience the changing teaching and technological landscape in a variety of ways, spanning enthusiasm, overwhelm, concern, vulnerability, uncertainty and tension. These personal experiences and how they navigated them had implications for how they choose to engage with ICT in their professional lives. The implications for approaches to teacher professional development that seek to embed the use of ICT in schools and foster a more student-centred and constructivist approaches to education is discussed.

Recently, collection of sequence data has become increasingly rapid and cost-efficient, prompting much research into using this kind of data in the analysis of infectious diseases. There is currently substantial interest in developing epidemic model frameworks which can incorporate this new abundance of data. Whole-genome sequence (WGS) data reveal to us the unique construction- the 'fingerprint'- of the DNA of a sample pathogen. These high resolution data introduce the possibility that we may be able to discover who infected whom in an epidemic outbreak, allowing us to better understand transmission dynamics and therefore design improved preventative and intervention measures. WGS data may prove useful in understanding how levels of infectiousness and susceptibility vary between individuals in a population, or patients on a hospital ward. Genetic data are becoming increasingly widely available, and it is now possible to sequence isolates of some pathogens in real-time in the field with mobile sequencing technologies. Therefore, developing the models and methods to best exploit this is of considerable importance. The first focus of the research presented here is on antibiotic-resistant nosocomial infections, or 'hospital superbugs', as these still pose a significant problem in hospitals, especially in developing countries. Antibiotic resistance is estimated to kill 700 thousand people globally every year. Current public focus on the threat of an 'antibiotic apocalypse' focuses on the need to reduce the overuse of antibiotics, but another important strategy is to better understand the transmission of such pathogens in order that better prevention and intervention strategies can be designed. Hospital wards present a unique environment, data from which require their own models and methods to analyse outbreaks of infectious disease. Initial research in this thesis has concentrated on outbreaks of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as it is the most widespread and most common antibiotic-resistant nosocomial infection. In this thesis, discrete-time stochastic epidemic models are developed which can be used to analyse both epidemiological and genetic data from an outbreak of MRSA on a hospital ward. These new models can be used to estimate routes of transmission through the hospital ward on the level of individual transmission events by harnessing the information available in the genetic distances between isolate sequences taken from colonised patients. The unobserved transmission dynamics in the models can be inferred using Bayesian inference in a data-augmented MCMC algorithm. Although techniques have been developed to assess the goodness-of-fit of epidemic models in Bayesian settings, they do not assess how well a model fits the genetic data. Methods for doing so are developed in this thesis. An outbreak of MRSA is analysed using the presented models, and the new goodness-of-fit techniques are used to suggest ways to improve the fit of models. The ideas behind the models for genetic data from MRSA outbreaks are also applicable to other epidemic outbreaks for which genetic data are available. In this thesis we present continuous-time stochastic epidemic models for the spread of avian influenza. These models have a spatial aspect and can be used to estimate the transmission events between farms by analysing genetic and epidemiological data from each farm. Avian influenza is carried endemically by wild birds, so it is very difficult to prevent outbreaks entirely. Therefore, it is very useful to better understand the transmission dynamics of outbreaks and to be able to make predictions about the course of a future epidemic. The combined analysis of both epidemiological and genetic data through novel models and methods allows transmission of pathogens in epidemic outbreaks to be investigated on the level of individuals in the population. This can have a great public health impact, as results about the routes of infection can inform prevention and control measures.

Electric motor design has been relatively unchanged for nearly a century. However, there is a movement in our world to replace inefficient combustion technology with electricity. While current electric motor technology is being used in numerous areas, manufacturing has been limited to traditional techniques which result in inefficient and unreliable machines for achieving those electrification goals. As a result, there needs to be a shift in how these motors are manufactured and designed. Additive manufacturing (AM) can provide this shift, however, there has been both a lack of information on how to use AM to design for these applications and of electrical properties for AM materials processed by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). This work helps to fill in some of this missing information. The first part of this work used DfAM and first principles to design coils which help achieve the goals of efficient, powerful and robust electric motors. It was demonstrated that AM can greatly increase the fill factor of a motor which increases its power density and efficiency. It can minimise the amount of support material required which aids in creating coils with AM. AM can also modify the end-turns of a coil to aid in thermal dissipation which further improves efficiency and reliability. Copper is a common material for electrical applications but has been very difficult to process with LPBF due to its high reflectivity and high thermal conductivity. Despite this, some have attempted to process copper but failed to provide any electrical properties such as resistivity. Despite a wide range of parameter optimisation, copper was not able to be processed in this work to a high density. Despite this, resistivity measurements with respect to initial build orientation and heat treatments were taken and found to be lower than fully dense AlSi10Mg. Artificial intelligence was also used to perform a secondary quality assessment of individual thin walls to aid in parameter optimisation. With the challenges of processing a high purity material to a high density, an aluminium alloy which can be processed to a high density was then studied. AlSi10Mg is an alloy commonly used by LPBF, however, there has been an incomplete body of knowledge surrounding its electrical properties. Previous research has neglected initial build orientations, variations that heat treatment can cause, and used techniques that assumed isotropic properties. In this work, experiments were performed to characterise these effects to electrical resistivity and microstructure. In addition, a geometric accuracy study was performed in order to understand the differences between model and as-built dimensions. The results from this work can be used as a guide to aid motor designers in using AM for electric motor manufacture. Through these improvements, electric motors can potentially become more powerful and reliable. They can then aid in global electrification and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite remarkable advances in our understanding of the drivers of human malignancies, new targeted therapies often fail to show sufficient efficacy in clinical trials. Indeed, the cost of bringing a new agent to market has risen substantially in the last several decades, fuelled partly by lack of efficacy in late phase clinical trials. Even in cases where a new agent is deemed 'successful', the development of resistance is often seen as inevitable and clinical responses can be fleeting. Typically, resistance to targeted therapies is thought to arise from pre-existing populations within the tumour, rather than from de novo evolution, yet few studies have experimentally tested this understanding. Indeed, recent reports in the literature have described epigenetically regulated drug tolerant populations within cancers, defined by cell-cycle regulation and/or quiescent repopulation dynamics, drug induced chromatin remodelling or differential transcription factor binding, that can be transient or permanent in nature. This thesis will outline experiments using high complexity molecular barcodes to trace the fate of individual cellular clones in the development of drug resistance. With this technique, cellular clones can be uncoupled from their genomic backgrounds, giving a new depth to our understanding of clonal selection in cancer. In particular, high complexity barcodes are used to identify a pre-existing tamoxifen resistant population in the MCF7 cell line. This resistance phenotype is then linked to the induction of embryonic transcription factor OCT4. Finally, we use our molecular barcoding technique to interrogate the repopulation dynamics of a breast cancer PDX model, supporting their use as complex model systems suitable for studying the origins and consequences of tumour heterogeneity.

This thesis is an investigation into vascular risk, vascular brain lesions, and age contributions to brain atrophy and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Associations of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) to longitudinal hippocampal atrophy were explored in control, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD participants enrolled in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI1). Also using ADNI1 data, I identified differences in longitudinal brain atrophy patterns in younger vs. older AD patients. Blood pressure (BP), cognition and brain atrophy were jointly modelled to see how changes in each variable are correlated in ADNI1 and National Alzheimer's Coordinating Centre (NACC) participants. The independent associations of microbleeds (MBs), lacunes and WMHs to longitudinal atrophy were also explored in ADNIGo and ADNI2. Lastly, I developed a new protocol for semi-automated WMH segmentation and generated 'gold standard' segmentations with which to assess the performance of an automated WMH segmentation algorithm. WMHs were found to associate with hippocampal atrophy in controls and MCI, which survived correction for CSF biomarkers of amyloid and tau, and concurrent brain atrophy. Secondly, I found that younger AD patients have greater extra- hippocampal atrophy, with a prominent posterior atrophy pattern, and faster atrophy rates compared to older AD patients. Greater hippocampal atrophy rates were found in MCI and AD patients with higher baseline systolic BP. In ADNI2 and ADNIGo subjects MB presence and WMH volume were associated with increased longitudinal brain atrophy rate, whilst presence of a lacune was associated with a reduced atrophy rate. Lastly, I showed that the automated WMH segmentation algorithm compares well to the 'gold standard', and automated volumes were able to predict cognitive change across disease types. This work extends existing knowledge about how age, vascular risk and brain lesions with a presumed vascular aetiology, link with brain atrophy and cognitive decline in ageing and AD.

This thesis sets out to examine the contemporary relevance of absurd theatre in France, focusing on the work of Luigi Pirandello, Albert Camus, and Eugène Ionesco. These three authors share a preoccupation with how to create meaning in a world in which it is lacking. For Absurdists, the lack of pre-existing values does not mean that anything is permitted, nor that action is unnecessary, but rather that every person has a responsibility to fully consider the impact their action or lack thereof can have on others. Plays by Pirandello, Camus and Ionesco ask questions without offering concrete solutions, thereby forcing their audience members to interrogate their own relationship with the other. To determine the relevance of absurd theatre in twenty-first-century France, I undertake readings of theatrical texts by Pirandello, Camus and Ionesco which are informed by recent productions of their plays. To achieve this, I make use of details from programmes, press and educational packs made available by theatres, media interviews and reviews of the productions as well as DVD and archive footage of performances. The introduction focuses on why the absurd is a useful means to interrogate the interaction between the individual and society, and why the theatre is a particularly useful means to examine this relationship. Subsequently, I discuss each author in separate chapters, focusing on plays which have been staged in the twenty-first century and how they relate to contemporary debates. Chapter One will discuss how Pirandello responds to the absurd by exploring the possibility of self-creation, and the importance of avoiding being defined by others - which is suffered especially by Pirandello's female characters. Chapter Two focuses on Camus's exploration of the impact that our actions can have on the other, and whether contemporary fears about security and terror can lead to the abdication of our duty to consider the other. Chapter Three examines Ionesco's explorations of whether it is possible to maintain individuality at the same time as existing within a society, and how he presents the importance of avoiding conformity. Finally, the conclusion will deal with the potential consequences of the ideas raised in the plays for contemporary audiences. The productions discussed in this thesis above provide an overview of absurd theatre in twenty-first-century France. By using details from their production and reception to inform my reading of plays by Pirandello, Camus, and Ionesco, as well as suggesting other ways in which their theatrical work can serve as a tool to interrogate contemporary concerns, I aim to contribute to scholarship on the place of the absurd in the twenty-first century.

Classroom management skills are evidence-based strategies used to maintain a positive and productive learning environment. Utilizing classroom management strategies has been proven effective; however, limited tools are available for assessing such skills and further assessment of the reliability and dependability of such measures is needed. The Direct Behavior Rating -- Classroom Management (DBR-CM) forms are measures for assessing classroom management and come in three forms: external rater (DBR-CM ER), self-report (DBR-CM SR), and student rater (DBR-CM ST). This study extended on the information obtained from the Cassidy (2018) study that examined the DBR-CM ER form. The study evaluated the inter-observer agreement among the DBR-CM ER and DBR-CM SR forms. Additionally, this study examined the variance contributing to the classroom management ratings for both the DBR-CM SR and DBR-CM ER forms. A fully crossed analytic design (p x d x m) with two facets, day (d: observations) and method (m: rater type), and person (p: teachers) as the object of measurement was created. A follow-up decision (D) study was conducted to assess the number of 10 minute observations required to conduct a reliable rating with the DBR-CM SR and DBR-CM ER forms. [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 seeks to make a contribution to the emerging field of Rehearsal Studies. It is an analytical account of the rehearsal process of playwright and director Anthony Neilson, whose ‘noted process’ has been attracting critical attention. He begins his rehearsals with no script, and the actors are involved in a complex devising process. The thesis pays particular attention to the perspective of the actor within this collaborative environment. The thesis will focus on the rehearsals of one specific production at the Royal Court Theatre in London, Neilson’s 2013 play Narrative. This thesis utilises an unusual methodological approach, in that its findings have been reached via close analysis of filmed footage of the Narrative rehearsals, as well as interviews with the practitioners involved in the production, in addition to other actors who have collaborated with Neilson in the past. This thesis follows a tripartite structure which aims to uncover the particular properties of Neilson’s rehearsal methodology and the manner in which his approach critically engages with the issue of authorship, improvisation and the director-actor relationship. It also seeks to address issues such as how the investigation of rehearsals can contribute to our understanding of theatre practice. The thesis also demonstrates how research based on the analysis of filmed footage can facilitate a more in-depth enquiry of the subtextual components that are often of fundamental importance to rehearsals. In addition, the thesis will show how the often marginalised perspective of the actor has a productive and illuminating contribution to make to the understanding of Neilson’s process specifically, and the field of Rehearsal Studies more broadly.

Misregulation of Dlk1, a paternally expressed imprinted gene, is known to cause adipose phenotypes in both mice and humans. It is now known that the type of fat a person has, the location of and type of expansion are all important factors for the epidemic of obesity-related diseases, yet there is little understanding of the factors that influence which depots expand, and how. This project investigates how Dlk1, expressed primarily during embryogenesis, effects adulthood adiposity, which has shed light on the mechanism by which embryonic insults affect adulthood adipose physiology and resultant metabolic disease. Much previous work has been done on the role of Dlk1 in adipogenesis in vitro, however little is known of its role in this process in vivo. To achieve an in vivo investigation of its role in adipogenesis, adipose tissue has been measured in mice with deleted Dlk1 from embryo through early life and into adulthood. Gross measurement has been supported by mechanistic interrogation of adipose expandability using a triple transgenic adipocyte labelling mouse model, results from which are the most comprehensive to date in a wild type context and reveal insight into the Dlk1 knock-out phenotype. Results indicate a complex and dynamic role of Dlk1 that is interlinked with overall growth in mice. Moreover new evidence is presented here for tissue specific c imprinting of Dlk1 in some adipose cell types with consequential growth and adipose alterations in Dlk1 heterozygote mice that do not follow the expected phenotype of imprinted gene knock-out models.

The practice of digital diplomatic signalling (DDS) and online crisis narratives (OCN) offers unexplored potential for analysing the creation and exercise of diplomatic communicative strategies during times of political crisis. Set within the global information space, the processes of DDS and OCN today carry the potential, to act as communicative tools for foreign policy power projection, and virtual powers of enlargement as the 'battle for crisis narratives' is now played out online. By developing a unique conceptual lens in which to view and analyse these communicative processes online, this research argues that digital signalling and online crisis narratives have become essential components of a Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFAs) communicative toolbox, and worthy instruments in which they can seek to exert and extend their diplomatic influence both at home and abroad. Using DDS and OCN as conceptual lenses in which to view diplomatic crisis communication practices, we see that the power inherent in digital mediums becomes a communicative advantage during a crisis and a strategic instrument for the achievement of foreign policy goals. A new crop of studies which addresses the emergence of communicative power under the label 'foreign policy in global information space' adds substantial weight to these claims, supplying, new ways of extrapolating the power projections of digital diplomatic actors online. Through the exploration of two distinct case studies, the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, and 2013/4 Euromaidan crisis, this research therefore taps into the unexplored potential of the process of DDS, its power to create OCN's, and ultimately expand a state's power and influence during times of crisis.

Myosin binding to actin, and thus muscle contraction, is regulated by Tropomyosin (Tpm), Troponin (Tn) and calcium (Ca2+). Tpm, is an α-helical coiled-coil dimer, which exists as a homo- or heterodimer. Two major isoforms of Tpm are found in striated muscle, α and β. Though it is known that different dimers exist, the mechanism by which they form and exchange is not fully understood. The thermal stability and exchange between dimers was explored with the use of circular dichroism and SDS PAGE densitometry analysis. Homodimers showed little exchange to form heterodimers at temperatures up to 20 °C . Dimer stability at these temperatures reduces the need for chemical cross-linking samples. While extensive exchange was seen at 37 °C . Reverse exchange of WT and mutant (E54K - dilated cardiomyopathy mutant) containing heterodimers to form homodimers did not show the same extent of exchange, suggesting a dimer preference. Results showed the ability to determine dimer content of a solution with the use of polyacrylamide gels and chemical cross-linking. The thermal melting curves of Tpm highlighted a significant destabilisation of β Tpm against the α isoform. Tpm heterodimer containing E54K mutant showed a decreased thermal stability. Notable differences were seen not only for isoforms and homo- and heterodimers, but also for buffer conditions and protein tags. Increased salt concentrations led to an increase in thermal stability. Crosslinking dimers increased thermal stability, whereas addition of His-tags led to a decrease in thermal stability. Changes in thermal stability highlighted the need for caution when tagging or cross-linking the protein. Dimer exchange on actin provided conflicting results between SDS PAGE cosedimentation assays and pyrene fluorescence cosedimendation assays, which highlighted limitations of cross-linking Tpm and using fluorescent labels. The stiffness of Tpm dimers was explored using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to image Tpm particles. Significant differences were seen between the relatively stiff α Tpm and less stiff β isoform. Changes in stiffness of Tpm affect its ability to cooperatively activate the thin filament, and provides insight into the assembly of dimers in vivo.

This thesis is a study of the influence of cosmology on Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica, an epic hexameter poem written in Alexandria in the 3rd century BC. I examine ancient Greek ideas of cosmogony and cosmology, which range from the earliest extant Greek texts (Homer and Hesiod) to contemporaries of Apollonius (Aratus). My argument is that cosmology is deeply embedded in the text, and that Apollonius creates a nexus of cosmic intertexts which provides a scientific and intellectual backdrop against which the events of the narrative take place. The narrative’s events all occur within a cosmos, which is alluded to throughout the epic; the reader sees snap-shots of the development of this cosmos alongside the development of the Argo’s journey, which creates an analogous progression between the two. Particularly salient for this thesis is the connection to Empedoclean ideas of love and strife as cosmic forces, as these comprise two of the major themes of the narrative. Accordingly, a key point of contact between narrative and cosmology lies in these forces, as the narrator consciously recalls them and the cosmos they control in the process of weaving his narrative. The three passages I examine all focus on this cosmic system, as the cosmic backdrop evolves and changes alongside the narrative itself. The cosmic analogy, therefore, is not static but changes in line with the narrative. This study will form the only extended analysis of cosmology in the Argonautica. The influence of cosmological material on the text (within the wider issue of philosophical influence) has attracted marginal attention, scholars often noting some of the more overt connections without a great deal of analysis. Works that acknowledge the presence of cosmological material at sporadic points include: Fränkel (1968); Hunter (1989 and 1993), Clauss (1993 and 2000); Levin (1970 and 1971). More detailed studies of aspects of cosmological material in the Argonautica include: Bogue (1979); Nelis (1992); Kyriakou (1994); Pendergraft (1995); Murray (2014); Santamaría Álvarez (2014). These studies all confirm the importance of cosmological ideas on the text, but focus on a particular manifestation of these ideas. This thesis will build on these ideas in an attempt to create a cohesive study of cosmology throughout the narrative and consider how this material affects our reading of the narrative itself and its poetic agenda, along with how this use feeds into Apollonius’ poetic values and contemporary poetic trends in general. The thesis is divided into three main chapters, in which I examine three key passages of the Argonautica to make my argument. In Chapter One I examine Orpheus’ song (1.496-511), in which the cultic bard Orpheus calms a fight between two Argonauts by singing a cosmogony. The song establishes cosmic forces that run analogous to the forces at work in the narrative and demonstrates how the growing influence of love in the cosmos parallels the increased reliance on love for the success of the Argonauts’ mission. In Chapter Two I examine Jason’s cloak (1.721-767), a passage that comprises the only extended ecphrasis in the Argonautica. The images woven into his cloak continue the cosmic theme begun in the song of Orpheus, since they demonstrate the world in a later stage of development, as human and divine events unfold and time progresses towards the Argonauts’ contemporary world. In Chapter Three I examine Eros’ sphere (3.129-141), an intricate toy offered to him by Aphrodite in exchange for his shooting Medea with an arrow to make her fall in love with Jason. The ball’s shape and its details both suggest that what Eros holds in his hand is some sort of divine three-dimensional model of the universe. I have chosen these three passages because a cosmological mode of reading is particularly strong in them; they bring to the forefront the cosmological undertone which underlies the wider narrative. My conclusion is that the three passages are all connected throughout the narrative by their cosmic material, material which underscores the Argonauts’ narrative and facilitates them anchoring their time to the grand timeframe of the cosmos. Both cosmic and narrative events run concurrently, as the evolution of the cosmos from its origins to the Argonauts’ present day runs alongside the evolution of the narrative. This duality shows how the Argonautic poet employs cosmology and in doing so creates a continuous parallel narrative that runs throughout the text. Since he uses three connected parallel narratives (song, garment, and toy), the reflective capacity of the passages is not merely a one-off, but consecutive, as all three comprise different moments in the same cosmic scheme. The boundaries between parallel narrative and main narrative are thus broken down in the passages as the narrator establishes the idea that cosmology does not only run parallel to the events of the narrative, but prefigures them and enriches the reader’s understanding of the narrative world. In sum, the cosmic readings of the passages demonstrate that what the narrator is drawing the reader towards is a cosmic subtext that is unfixed and undergoes change.

The thesis comprises three chapters on the microeconomics of development. The first chapter consists of a lab-in-field experiment in rural Pakistan. I test whether anticipated changes in individuals' liquidity constraints can cause individuals spuriously to appear "present-biased" or "future-biased". The design uses experimental windfalls to create fully exogenous variation in subjects' liquidity constraints. The results suggest that the effect of liquidity constraints on "present-bias" and "future-bias" in monetary tasks exists, is large, and does not operate via changing cognitive function or risk preferences. Importantly, and in contrast with other recent studies, I establish that the causation runs from tighter liquidity constraints to appearing "present-biased"—rather than truly present-biased individuals making choices which lead to tighter liquidity constraints. The findings have important implications for the measurement of time preferences, and for interventions offering commitment. The second chapter - co-authored with Marije Groot Bruinderink, Wendy Janssens and Karlijn Morsink - describes a field experiment in the slums of Matola, Mozambique. We model and test how intra-household bargaining affects adoption of dual-protection contraceptive technologies, when women place a greater weight than men on the health costs of unprotected sex. To do so, we evaluate an intervention which provides women with information about and free access to male and female condoms. We find strong impacts on adoption of female condoms, using both survey data and data from weekly coital diaries. As predicted by the model, take-up of female condoms is higher among women with low household bargaining power at baseline, including women who are unable to convince their partner to use male condoms. The third chapter — co-authored with Marcel Fafchamps — reports the findings from a survey of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in Malawi. We ask whether some individuals adopt VSLAs as a commitment savings technology, and whether they sort into groups with borrowers. Using dyadic regression analysis we find evidence of negative assortative matching on a measure of "present-bias", which suggests that this is the case. This may increase financial intermediation, and welfare, in villages with low access to formal banking.

Police interviewers require a new investigative interviewing tool to facilitate the discrimination between children’s true and false reports. This thesis investigated whether cognitive lie detection techniques could fill this gap in current practice. Chapter 1 introduces the cognitive lie detection paradigm, highlighting the lack of research within the child deception literature and the paradigm’s potential as a means for detecting deceit in children. Chapter 2 explores imposing cognitive load through the use of gaze maintenance to exaggerate differences between child truth-tellers and child lie-tellers. In Experiment 1, maintaining gaze (either with the interviewer’s face or a teddy bear’s face) resulted in truth-tellers providing significantly more detailed reports than lie-tellers. This finding was not apparent for the control condition where children were given no gaze instruction. In Experiment 2, this exaggerated difference between the accounts of the truth- and lie-tellers facilitated deception detection when the children were instructed to look at interviewer’s face, but not at the teddy bear’s face. Poor discrimination for the latter group was discussed with regard to the gaze behaviour of the children being regarded as ‘fishy’ by the evaluators. Chapter 3 investigates whether playing an example of a detailed free recall provided by a peer (referred to as another child’s model statement, AMS) elicits longer statements that contain more cues to deceit in an eyewitness context than when no model statement is used. Both child truth-tellers and child lie-tellers provided more details and more new information following AMS. However, truth-teller accuracy decreased. In Chapter 4, interview clips from Chapter 3 were judged by adult evaluators who found it difficult to differentiate between children’s true and false reports. This could be a consequence of quantity of detail not being a reliable indicator of veracity for this sample of interviews. Chapter 5 tests the use of children’s practice interviews as their own model statements (OMS) compared to AMS and having no model statement (NMS). Only AMS encouraged children to include more details and more new information in their post-model statement true and false reports. Further research is required to understand the socio-cognitive mechanisms that create this behavioural difference. Chapter 6 describes a field study that presented the cognitive lie detection techniques investigated in the previous chapters to police officers who interview child witnesses regularly. Of all the techniques, OMS was considered to be the most viable option, although police officers suggested that all of the interview techniques would require adaptation for use in the real world. The practitioners provided an insightful look at the current child-interviewing context in the UK, which provides a basic framework that could be considered when designing child deception detection strategies in the future. Finally, Chapter 7 summarises the main findings of this doctoral thesis, discusses their theoretical and practical implications, and puts forward ideas for future research.

Type 2 diabetes is the fastest growing health threat to the UK, with prevalence rising 60% over the past decade. Those with Type 2 diabetes carry twice the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a condition which claims the lives of the majority of adults in the UK. A significant proportion of cardio-metabolic disease could be prevented through improvements in lifestyle. Technological advancements, motorised transport and an increase in desk based work, have paved the way for physical inactivity to be norm in modern society. Clinical and government strategies to target unhealthy lifestyles are currently lacking. The aim of this thesis was to explore lifestyle related behaviours in cardio-metabolic disease, with a view to improving clinical care. A UK population based study (n=502,664) demonstrates that those with cardio-metabolic disease are characterised by low physical activity, sedentary behaviour and poor sleep. Combining all three behaviours exposes individuals to greater cardio-metabolic risk. A cross-sectional study (n=57) indicates that there are significant cardiac abnormalities in those with metabolic disease in the absence of overt heart disease. Finally, a randomised controlled trial (n=28) provides evidence that exercise can be used as a therapeutic strategy to improve cardiac structure and function in adults with Type 2 diabetes, and thereby moderate cardiac risk in this patient group. This thesis delivers two clear messages; 1) lifestyle behaviours remain significant unaddressed risk factors and 2) physical activity and exercise strategies should be used as therapies to reduce risk and improve cardio-metabolic health. Looking ahead, the results from the this study highlight the need for lifestyle behaviours to be part of the prevention and management strategies for cardio-metabolic health, and support the NHS’s 5 year plan to encourage healthier lifestyles as a priority.

Human natural killer (NK) cells play an invaluable role in the first line of innate immune defence against viral infection and cancer. They are the main sub-group of lymphocytes with predominant expression of polymorphic KIR (Killer-immunoglobulin-like-receptors), which allows them to engage with their MHC Class I ligands. Past immunogenetic analysis has shown that possession of KIR2DL3 may confer an advantage in eliminating acute Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This contrasts with those possessing KIR2DL2 who were found not to spontaneously resolve infection. Previous work has shown that different variants of an endogenous peptide VAPWNSLSL (VAP) can modulate the KIR2DL2/3-HLA-C1 interaction. Here we have analysed the peptide repertoire in the context of the inhibitory KIR2DL3, KIR2DL2 receptors and the activating KIR2DS2 receptor. We firstly investigated any differences in KIR2DL3+ or KIR2DL2+ NK cell reactivity in response to mixes containing VAP peptide derivatives with the aim that these peptide mixes would be representative of the diverse peptide repertoire on a cell. Overall, we found that NK cells from KIR2DL3 homozygous donors were more sensitive to changes in the peptide content of MHC class I than those from KIR2DL2 homozygous donors. As HCV is an infection with a well-recognised association of outcome with specific KIR, we also sought to determine whether HCV peptides could modulate KIR2DL2/3+ NK cell reactivity. We investigated the ability of the panel of HCV peptides to influence NK cell reactivity firstly via KIR2DL2 or KIR2DL3. The majority of HCV peptides were weak binders for HLA-Cw*0102 and/or non-inhibitory. We found that a HCV peptide (HCV NS31254-1263 LNPSVAATL) was able to promote weak binding of the KIR2DS2 to the HLA-Cw*0102 allele and subsequently affect KIR2DS2+ NK cell reactivity. Here we report that LNP can effectively promote binding of KIR2DS2 tetramers and affect the functionality of KIR2DS2+ NK cell clones. Thus, we propose that the HCV-derived peptide LNP can act as an agonistic peptide on NK cell activation through KIR2DS2.

This thesis presents a body of work on the theme of millimetre-wave FMCW radar, for the purposes of security screening and remote sensing. First, the development of an optimised software radar signal processor will be outlined. Through use of threading and GPU acceleration, high data processing rates were achieved using standard PC hardware. The flexibility of this approach, compared to specialised hardware (e.g. DSP, FPGA etc…), allowed the processor to be rapidly adapted and has produced a significant performance increase in a number of advanced real-time radar systems. An efficient tracker was developed and was successfully deployed in live trials for the purpose of real-time wave detection in an autonomous boat control system. Automated radar operation and remote data telemetry functions were implemented in a terrain mapping radar to allow continuous monitoring of the Soufrière Hills volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. This work concluded with the installation of the system 3 km from the volcano. Hardware modifications were made to enable coherent measurement in a number of existing radar systems, allowing phase sensitive measurements, including range-Doppler, to be performed. Sensitivity to displacements of less than 200 nm was demonstrated, which is limited by the phase noise of the system. Efficient compensation techniques are presented which correct for quadrature mixer imbalance, FMCW chirp non-linearity, and scanner drive distortions. In collaboration with the Home Office, two radar systems were evaluated for the stand-off detection of concealed objects. Automatic detection capability, based on polarimetric signatures, was developed using data gathered under controlled conditions. Algorithm performance was assessed through blind testing across a statistically significant number of subjects. A detailed analysis is presented, which evaluates the effect of clothing and object type on detection efficiency.

This thesis reports the synthesis and characterisation of several layered pnictides, chalcogenides, and oxychalcogenides, with an emphasis on materials that exhibit high temperature superconductivity. High and low temperature techniques have been used to synthesise new materials and modify their properties. The majority of this work has been focused on the synthesis of superconducting materials with the general formula Ax(NH3)y(NH2)zFeSe, where A is an alkali metal. These materials are formed from a co-intercalation of alkali metals, ammonia, and alkali metal amides into the interlamellar space of pre-formed tetragonal FeSe. There is a remarkable increase in Tc associated with this intercalation, from 8 K in FeSe to a maximum of 46 K in the products. A range of characterisation techniques including neutron and X-ray diffraction, EXAFS, and SQUID magnetometry have been used to identify a variety of crystal structures, compositions, and properties adopted by these materials. The synthesis procedure of these materials where, A = Na and K, has been studied in-situ via powder X-ray diffraction at world-class central facilities, revealing new phases, intermediates, and activation energies. The Kx(NH3)y(NH2)zFeSe phases are found to undergo a topotactic decomposition step to become Kx'Fe2-y'Se2 phases on annealing, which has also been studied by in-situ powder X-ray diffraction. Additional studies on Na1-xFe2-yAs2 and CaFeSeO have been performed. Na1-xFe2-yAs2 is the product of a room temperature deintercalation of sodium and iron from NaFeAs, which changes the superconducting properties of the material. XAFS measurements have been used to characterise the local structure of the materials, which supports the conclusion that iron is deintercalated from the parent material and gives new insight into the effect of the iron vacancies on the local structure. CaFeSeO is a newly discovered material that adopts a never-before-seen crystal structure, which has been solved from powder X-ray diffraction data. Intricate vacancy ordering exists in the material, which contributes to a peculiar mixture of magnetic behaviours including signatures of a spin glass, ordered antiferromagnet, and an ordered ferromagnetic component. All of these behaviours however, can be rationalised by the nuclear and magnetic structure of the material that have been refined using powder neutron diffraction.

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the leadership attributes of special education central-office administrators. Using Senge's five disciplines of the learning organization and Marzano's 21 responsibilities of the school leader, this multicase study sought to discover the attributes of a special education leader. The focus of this dissertation study was to explore what leadership traits exist across systems-level special education leaders. To understand special education leader engagement at the central-office level, interviews and observations were completed with special education leaders willing to participate in the research study. Additionally, each participant was required to submit a copy of his or her resume to the researcher. A multicase-study approach was used to analyze the attributes of each leader involved in the dissertation research. The study analysis revealed that special education leaders in the State of Maryland demonstrate leadership attributes related to Senge's five disciplines of the learning organization and Marzano's 21 responsibilities of the school leader. Findings expanded the existing literature to include an analysis of special education leadership at a systems level. [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.]

There continues to be a discrepancy in the number of females occupying the superintendent position in the United States. In Illinois, 24% of superintendents are female while 75% educators are female. This study examined the perceived barriers of aspiring superintendents in achieving the top position in education as well as the differences between genders regarding these perceptions. Data for this study was collected through a survey of the perceptions of barriers. The 85 participants for this study either completed the survey online or on paper. Based on frequency distribution analysis, twelve barriers were perceived as high impediments to pursuing the superintendency by women compared to four by men. In addition, statistically significant differences indicating higher levels of impediments among women in pursuing the superintendency were found in ten barriers. The ten barriers include: the predominance of male candidates for administrative positions, existence of the "buddy system" in which men refer other men to jobs, doubt by those in hiring position of women's long term career commitment, gender bias in the screening and selection process, exclusion from informal socialization process of "Good Old Boy Network," lack of acceptance by male administrators and staff, lack of acceptance by female administrators and staff, the belief that women must be better qualified than men in order to obtain top level administrative positions, lack of strong women's network similar to the "Good Old Boy Network," and covert sex discrimination. The findings from this study have implications for both male and female aspirants to the superintendency. Both men and women respondents in this study acknowledged that barriers do exist for those aspiring to be a superintendent although female respondents perceived the barriers more intensely and in greater quantity. The greatest barrier for both men and women in the study addressed networking. Aspiring superintendents should seek opportunities to network and to be visible in the professional arena in order to break into informal social networks. Future studies comparing barriers perceived by both men and women should be considered. [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.]

N-type calcium channels belong to the family of voltage gated calcium channels , which open in response to membrane depolarisation. These channels are responsible for the calcium influx that triggers neurotransmitter release at presynaptic terminals. N - type channels are particularly important in mediating neurotransmitter release at the presynaptic terminals of peripheral sensory neurons and have been implicated i n neuropathic pain. Understanding the regulation of N - type channels is critical to the development of treatments that target these channels. Until now it has been difficult to directly investigate the regulation of their expression at the cell surface due to the inability to selectively visualise channels at the surface. Although N - type channels are thought to consist of a Ca v 2.2, α 2 δ and β subunits, there is uncertainty over whether the pore forming Ca v 2.2 subunit does indeed interact with α 2 δ at the cell surface. The work in this thesis has yielded two tagged functional Ca v 2.2 subunits that can be selectively visualised at th e plasma membrane , and has led to conclusive evidence that Ca v 2.2 and α 2 δ - 1 are closely associated at the cell surface. Furthermore, these tools have allowed the investigation of the mechanism by which α 2 δ - 1 enhances surface expression of Ca v 2.2 and which domains of α 2 δ - 1 are involved. Interestingly, this work implicates two poorly characterised chemosensory - like domains of α 2 δ - 1 as important for the interaction with Ca v 2.2, and also demonstrates that α 2 δ - 1 exerts its effect through increased forward traffi cking rather than increased surface stability. The application of gabapentin, a drug used to treat neuropathic pain, reduces surface expression of Ca v 2.2 through a mechanism that is wholly dependent on binding to α 2 δ - 1. T he tools generated in this work can be used to examine Ca v 2.2 regulation in neurons, val idating their potential for characterising the regulation of Ca v 2.2 in the nervous system.

Arterial stiffness has been demonstrated to predict cardiovascular morbidity above and beyond traditional risk factors and can be estimated from measurements such as pulse wave velocity (PWV). Aortic PWV can be estimated from the carotid and femoral sites (CFPWV) by applanation tonometry and ultrasound. However, these methods only estimate a gross global burden, which may mitigate regional stiffness within the vasculature, and can be subjected to errors relating to uncertainties in estimating vessel length. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an established clinical cardiovascular imaging modality which like ultrasound, has the advantage of being non-invasive and non-ionising. Whilst not typically part of a clinical cardiovascular examination, MRI sequences can be implemented to provide localised aortic PWV measurements directly from aortic sites. PWV derived by MRI (MR-PWV) is mostly confined to clinical research. It has been determined with high reproducibility and validated against invasive pressure measurements. MRI, as a technique, bears the potential to evaluate vascular anatomy and cardiac function in a single examination. For instance, it can provide aortic stiffness measure with a corresponding left ventricular assessment. Therefore, techniques such as MR-PWV warrants further investigation to see if it may prove beneficial in the detection of subclinical disease or as an imaging biomarker of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this research, MR-PWV was estimated using conventional methodology by determining the pulse wave transit time between two aortic sites, derived using MRI velocity encoded imaging of the aorta. When the technique was applied to a complicated diabetic population with and without symptomatic CVD in chapter 5, PWV yielded an important distinction between the groups (CVD with T2DM: 8.7 ± 2.8 ms-1, n =22, T2DM: 7.5 ± 2.3 ms-1, n =28, CVD without T2DM: 8.9 ± 3.6 ms-1, n =19 versus control 6.7 ± 1.8 ms-1, n =19, ANOVA P < 0.05). However, it did not show significant differences in patients with T2DM before onset of symptomatic CVD. This conventional method of PWV assessment was extended into a multi-site approach sampling several points along the aorta, with the hypothesis that aortic stiffness is a heterogeneous process that varies along the aortic length. This multi-site pulse wave velocity (MS-PWV) technique has been shown to increase the accuracy of PWV measures and was utilised in a subsequent study in chapter 6 and 7, involving healthy volunteers and patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) , (healthy volunteers under 40 years: 4.5 ± 0.7 ms-1, n = 22, older healthy volunteers over 40 years: 6.5 ± 1.5 ms-1, n=22 versus PVD patients 8.6 ± 3.1 ms-1, n = 26, P < 0.001). This thesis provides a novel insight into the process of arterial stiffening and subsequent cardiovascular health throughout different disease cohorts. It differs from current published work by examining MR-PWV in a heterogeneous diabetes and CVD population, while previous studies have solely examined either diabetic or CVD patients. Secondly, the use of MS-PWV has only been implemented in three previous studies to date; involving both a healthy population and cohort with Marfan syndrome. This research is the first to use this technique in PVD and the only study to derive MS-PWV in this population. In summary, PWV was shown to change with both the extent and severity of atherosclerosis and CVD, which is agreement with previous studies. This demonstrates that MR-PWV may be a useful research tool within the area of cardiovascular MRI and further work is needed to clinically define the potential impact of PWV.

This thesis examines nostalgia as a central literary trope of burgeoning modernisation in the mid-Victorian historical novel. Nostalgia began as a pathological form of homesickness and rapidly engaged with the perceived distancing from the past brought about by accelerated modernisation. This thesis suggests that literary representations of social, cultural and technological change echo nostalgic reactions of loss and longing. Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, Elizabeth Gaskell and George Eliot are the primary focus of this study. Selected works by these authors are situated within the wider context of Victorian historical fiction which – following Walter Scott’s phenomenal success at the beginning of the century – became, as Franco Moretti put it, a ‘key genre’ in the Victorian era. Nostalgia’s first victims were soldiers and students displaced from home by new opportunities for mobility and new reasons to travel long distances and live away from home; it was a disease that responded to modernisation or, as Kevis Goodman has put it, ‘historical growing pains’. Nostalgia’s combination of historical and psychological dimensions, I argue, made it an aesthetic peculiarly suited to the historical novel. This thesis suggests that nostalgia was an important novelistic trope during the nineteenth century and argues that it quickly became enmeshed with the historical novel in a way that has seldom been acknowledged. Because of its medical origins, alongside its continued development as a poetic trope, nostalgia provided a language with which to intertwine emotional and psychological reactions to change with the fictional representation of real historical events. The thesis begins with a detailed account of nostalgia’s etymological history, scientific entanglements and early literary manifestations; the introduction establishes the theoretical and historical framework for the thematically organised chapters that follow. Chapter 1 explores the interlacing of personal and historical subject matter in Thackeray’s historical fiction. This chapter suggests that these interactions took place in Thackeray’s historical fiction through the mingling of nostalgic tropes in the person of his central protagonists. These figures frequently follow Scott’s Edward Waverley in being insipid spectator-participants who have been displaced from their homes and (directly or indirectly) mediate events from a perspective of nostalgic exile. Chapter 2 considers the transformation of landscape as a node of nostalgic representation. It explores the confusion of time and place in the original case studies collected by doctors studying nostalgia as a disease in relation to nineteenth-century representations of past landscapes. It suggests that part of the historicising potential of geographical places comes from this instinctive association of time with place. This overlap is exploited in the historical novel to represent changing times via changing places. Chapter 3 takes George Eliot’s Romola, frequently criticised both by contemporary commentators and subsequent critics for being too full of minutely researched objects, as a illustrative example of how things can become ‘memorative signs’ around which to build a narrative. This ‘clutter’ is reinterpreted as a system of souvenirs, artefacts and mementoes through which public history is reconstructed from excavated fragments of private life. Chapter 4 explores how mid-Victorian historical fiction tested the limits of its own nostalgic tropes. It uses Sylvia’s Lovers to probe the point at which forgetfulness overtakes the most carefully memorialised people and events. It discusses the ways in which these novels use nostalgia to represent a perilous closeness between memorialisation and erasure. It considers whether a trope premised on loss might require the threat of encroaching historical oblivion to complete its own metaphors. The thesis concludes with a coda looking forward to later nineteenth-century uses of nostalgia in historical fiction through a reading of Thomas Hardy’s The Trumpet Major (1880) and The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886).

The focus of this action research project was to find an effective method of reading instruction that lends itself to reading comprehension in kindergarten students. The methods that were used in this study were the picture walk, read aloud, and read along. These methods were chosen because they differed in their approach by the teacher. The names of the methods tested during this study describe how each was used. The picture walk allowed the students to read the book by looking at the pictures. They did not hear the words or read the text on the pages. The story came strictly from their ideas. During the read along times, big books were used so that the students could read the words for themselves as well as see the pictures. Hearing the words while reading the words allowed the students to see which letter combinations made which words and sounds. The read aloud method kept the students in their seats while the instructor read from one book. This book was small enough that the children could not see the words; they were limited to only hearing the story. Each method was used six times. At the conclusion of each story, the students were individually asked five comprehension questions. Their scores were recorded and each student received a total score of 0-30 for each method of instruction. These scores were used to compare the different methods. The results showed that the picture walk was not an efficient method of instruction. However, in comparison, the read aloud and read along methods were beneficial. Appendixes contain an outline of methods of instruction; a list of comprehension questions for each of the 18 books used; and permission letters. (Contains 37 references and 3 tables of data.) (Author/RS)

Background: A number of core processes have been identified to be involved in Dramatherapy approaches and they are believed to be essential in effecting change (Jones 1996). However, limited research in this area highlights the need for a greater understanding of the therapeutic processes important in facilitating change. Aims: The study aims to investigate the core processes involved in change across dramatherapeutic approaches and models. Method: Seven dramatherapists and seven Dramatherapy clients were interviewed about their experiences of Dramatherapy. Using a grounded theory method a theoretical model emerged that identifies key processes involved in change. Results: Three core themes emerged from the data: working within a safe distance; being allowed and allowing self to play and try out new ways of being; actively creating and physically experiencing. Key change mechanisms were also discovered, these included: developing new awareness and finding a language to communicate. Discussion: Contributions and implications for practice are discussed in relation to the way in which change occurs, for example, new awareness can be seen in the context of increased reflective functioning and mind mindedness. Future research suggestions include further exploration of the key themes identified using a Delphi approach. Specific aspects of change such as a potential increase in reflective functioning after Dramatherapy also warrants further investigation. Key words: Dramatherapy; grounded theory; change processes; client perceptions.

The aim of this thesis is to explore the informal economies of post socialism as they are practiced in two rural communities on either side of the Ukrainian-Romanian border, which are now dependent on migrant worker remittances, cross-border small trading and consumption and a wide range of non-market economic practices for not only daily but also long-term survival or social reproduction. As informal economic practices have been sustained and even proliferated in the region, the thesis responds to a need to understand how local communities produce, embed and give meaning to these everyday, routinised practices in the borderlands. The thesis therefore addresses two key questions: How are informal economies in the Ukrainian-Romanian borderlands practiced?; How do communities construct and embed meanings for these practices? The themes of language, citizenship, gender and marriage enable us to understand the processes through which the practices are discursively and performatively given meaning.

Montserrat is a small volcanic island located in the Lesser Antilles. It hosts an active volcano, the Soufriere Hills volcano, which has affected, and continues to significantly affect, the local population. The thesis aims to examine the history of volcanism and related hazards on this island, to further understand the periodicity of eruptions, magmatic processes and potential future hazards, such as landslides. Uniquely, this work combines samples collected and sequences logged in both the subaerial and submarine realms.

The other-race effect refers to the impoverished individuation and recognition of other-race faces relative to own-race faces. The aim of this thesis was to investigate non-racial ingroup/outgroup categorisation, inter-/intra-racial context, and encoding conditions as signalling cues that affect own- and other-race face processing. Across eight experiments using both behavioural and neuroimaging methods, I demonstrated (1) that the context in which own- and other-race faces are encountered can determine the salience of racial category membership, with implications for how (and how much) non-racial ingroup/outgroup status influences own- and other-race face perception, (2) that task demands can lead perceivers toward more or less configural processing regardless of target ingroup/outgroup status, with implications for the influence of non-racial ingroup/outgroup status, and (3) that both racial and non-racial ingroup/outgroup status have the potential to influence the early stages of face perception. These findings both support and extend the Categorisation–Individuation Model, yielding a more comprehensive insight into the other-race effect.

The 1259 pipe roll contains accounts for most of the counties of England, covering the first full year of government by the reforming council set up by the baronial coup of 1258. The transcript of the roll makes up the bulk of this thesis. An unusually wide range of financial records, also mostly unpublished, survives from the years around 1259. These records are used together with the pipe roll to describe government finances and to show that the machinery of government continued to function successfully in the early years of the reform period. The thesis begins with a description of the editorial conventions used, and a discussion of the value of such transcripts. The financial information contained in the roll is extracted and analysed, to show the sources of government revenue, and how it was spent in the counties. The relationship between the central government and the sheriffs who administered the counties was changed radically in 1258, with the new sheriffs appointed by the reforming council as custodians, who were to account for the traditional income from the counties. These sheriffs’ accounts provide information about the customary payments and local courts in the counties which is not usually available. The income produced by the sheriffs and by the manors of the royal demesne over the period from 1241 to 1259 is compared, to show how the sheriffs squeezed additional revenue from the counties in the 1250s, and how the demesne continued to make a significant contribution to royal resources. The efforts of the reformers to control the financial administration and to reform Exchequer procedures had some success between 1258 and 1261. The financial collapse of the mid-1260s accompanied the struggle for control of the government and the drift towards civil war.

Background and Purpose: Progressive cerebellar ataxia is a rare neurological condition characterised by uncoordinated movement, and impaired speech articulation. Rehabilitation and physiotherapy in particular, form the cornerstone of healthcare intervention. Little qualitative research has been undertaken to understand the subjective experience of this complex condition. This study explored the experience of progressive cerebellar ataxia, physiotherapy and physiotherapy services from the perspective of people living with this condition. Method: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis underpinned this inductive qualitative enquiry. Twelve people with a progressive cerebellar ataxia participated in semi-structured interviews. All participants had some experience of physiotherapy. Interviews were transcribed. A case by case idiographic analysis was undertaken followed by a cross case analysis. Findings: Five super-ordinate themes were identified. ‘The embodied experience of progressive cerebellar ataxia’ emphasised the foregrounding of the body, and the disruption of the skilful interaction between body and world. ‘Identity, stigma and disrupted embodiment in public spaces and places’ encapsulated how participants made sense of actual and perceived stigma and discrimination. ‘Lifeworld meets biomedicine: a complex juxtaposition’ described participants’ problematic relationships with healthcare practitioners and their disease-centric world. ‘Wresting control in the face of uncertain and changing forces’ portrayed participants’ attempts to understand and reinterpret their condition on their own terms. ‘Exercise: a multifaceted contributor to managing life with ataxia’ captured the meaning of exercise and physical activity. One over-arching theme, ‘Retaining a homelike way of being-in-the-world’, cautiously indicated that whilst participants described ‘unhomelike’ lifeworlds (uncomfortable and disturbing); they simultaneously held onto, and sometimes realised, the possibility of ‘homecoming’, for example through the generation of new modes of belonging. Conclusion: This study provided a detailed, phenomenological account of the lived experience of progressive cerebellar ataxia. New insights were developed that have the capacity to inform not only physiotherapy practice but also other healthcare disciplines. New avenues for future research were also identified.