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The capacity of the visual system to process information about multiple objects at any given moment in time is limited. This is because not all information can be processed equally or in parallel and subsequently reach consciousness. Previous research has utilized behavioural experiments to explore visual attention. More recently research, however, has used electroencephalography (EEG) to measuring the electrical brain activity in the posterior scalp. By time locking visual stimulus events to fluctuations in scalp activity researchers have been able to estimate the time course of attentional changes by measuring changes in these event-related potentials (ERP). One component in particular (N2pc) has been a reliable tool in measuring either the suppression of, or the shift of attentional to, both ignored and attended items in the visual scene. The N2pc is measured by comparing the ERP activity contralateral and ipsilateral to the visual field of interest. More recently, evidence has been presented that the mechanisms of attention thought to be represented by the N2pc (suppression and attentional selection) could be separated into different ERP components (Pd: indexing attentional suppression of an ignored item; and Nt: indexing attentional selection of the target) and measured independently. In six experiments, using ERPs, this thesis employs these components to explore the mechanisms and strategies of the human attentional system. Additionally, this thesis focuses on the impact of different types of simultaneous processing load on the attentional system and how the mechanisms of this system are influenced. Experiment 1 explores the idea that the type or valence of information to be ignored may influence the ability to suppress it. Results of this experiment 4 show that neither the type nor valence of the irrelevant information modulated the amplitude of the distractor positivity (Pd), indicating suppression of the irrelevant distractor was not altered. Noted in experiment 1 was also the presence of an early negativity (Ne) that appeared to represent attentional capture of the ignored lateral stimulus. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the valence of the lateral target did not alter the target negativity (Nt), indicating a different pattern of results between the Nt and the N2pc reported in previous studies (e.g. Eimer & Kiss, 2007; Feldmann-Wüstefeld et al., 2010). Experiment 2 also showed a similarity of the target negativity (Nt) to the early negativity (Ne; the N2pc like component observed in exp 1) toward face and non-face stimuli. This comparison supported the idea that the early negativity (Ne) reflected attentional capture of the ignored lateral distractor and as a result was relabelled the distractor negativity (Nd) in subsequent experiments. Experiment 3 showed that the salience of the lateral image did not modulate the Pd as should be the case if the Pd reflected sensory-level processing. An early contralateral negativity (similar to the Nd observed in exp 1) was altered by the salience of the distractor which added support to the hypothesis that this reflects attentional capture of the lateral ignored image. Experiment 4 attempted to manipulate working memory (WM) to assess the effect of WM load on attentional capture and suppression. While the results did indicate modulation of suppression under WM load, the limitations of the design of experiment 4 made any definitive interpretation of the results unreliable. The results of experiment 5 showed that suppression, as indexed by the Pd, was not altered by cognitive load. However, reductions in attentional capture under high cognitive load, as indexed by the distractor negativity (Nd), were observed and contradict the results of previous experiments (c.f. Lavie & De Fockert, 2005) 5 where cognitive load resulted in an increase in attentional capture. Although, there appears to be some issue in the authors interpretation of the results of these experiments (see chapter 6 for discussion). The results of Experiment 6 show the opposite effect with a significant increase in the laterality of the Pd under high perceptual load. A similar increase in the laterality of the Pd was not reflected in terms of valence though, where suppression of threat related distractors was not altered under high perceptual load. The hypothesis that an increase in perceptual load will result in a decrease in attentional capture was generally supported by the results of experiment 6. Under high perceptual load angry face distractors captured attention, as indexed by the laterality of the Nd, with neutral face distractors showing a reduction in attentional capture. While under low perceptual load, both angry and neutral face distractors resulted in a significant (and similar) laterality of the Nd. The thesis concludes by discussing issues concerning Lavie’s Load Theory of attention and outlines some potential misinterpretations of previous data that have led to the proposal that cognitive load results in a decrease in attentional resources and therefore a decrease in attentional capture of ignored stimuli. It is argued in this thesis that the results of Lavie and de Fockert (2005), which concluded that the increase in cognitive load resulted in a decrease in attentional capture, are more likely to be due to changes in attentional capture (i.e. a reduction) and changes in RT (i.e. an increase), under cognitive load being separate responses to the availability of resources, one that focusses attention on the goal directed task and the other that results in extended processing time to carry out the more difficult task. In this case both ‘changes’ appear to work to prioritise resources in favour of the goal directed task.

Laser joining processes, such as brazing and welding, are a common application in industry, especially in the automotive industry. These processes are the key to lightweight and efficient design with regard to the automotive industry. There, laser brazing is used mainly for visible joints due to the superior paint adhesion and surface roughness of brazed joints compared to welds. As laser brazing is applied in the automotive industry without using any fluxes or shielding gas, this leads to a difficulty in maintaining and ensuring the quality of brazed joints.

There has been significant interest in BiFeO₃ over the past decade. This interest has focused on the magnetic and electrical properties, which in the long term may prove useful in device applications. This thesis focuses on the synthesis, electrical characterisation, and structural origin of the electrical properties of rare earth doped bismuth ferrite. Two systems have been studied: BiFeO₃ doped with lanthanum and neodymium (Bi₁₋ₓREₓFeO₃ RE= La, Nd). Specific examples have been highlighted focusing on a detailed structural analysis of a lanthanum doped bismuth ferrite, Bi₀.₅La₀.₅FeO₃, and a neodymium analogue, Bi₀.₇Nd₀.₃FeO₃. Both adopt an orthorhombic GdFeO₃-type structure (space group: Pnma) with G-type antiferromagnetism. Structural variations were investigated by Rietveld refinement of temperature dependent powder neutron diffraction using a combination of both conventional “bond angle/bond length” and symmetry-mode analysis. The latter was particularly useful as it allowed the effects of A-site displacements and octahedral tilts/distortions to be considered separately. This in-depth structural analysis was complemented with ac-immittance spectroscopy using the multi-formulism approach of combined impedance and modulus data to correlate structural changes with the bulk electrical properties. This approach was essential due to the complex nature of the electrical response with contributions from different electroactive regions. The structural variations occur due to a changing balance between magnetic properties and other bonding contributions in the respective systems. This results in changes in the magnitude of the octahedral tilts, and A-site displacements giving rise to phenomena such as negative thermal expansion and invariant lattice parameters i.e., the invar effect. More specifically, analysis of Bi₀.₅La₀.₅FeO₃ highlights a structural link between changes in the relative dielectric permittivity and changes in the FeO₆ octahedral tilt magnitudes, accompanied by a structural distortion of the octahedra with corresponding A-site displacement along the c-axis; this behaviour is unusual due to an increasing in-phase tilt mode with increasing temperature. The anomalous orthorhombic distortion is driven by magnetostriction at the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering resulting in an Invar effect along the magnetic c-axis and anisotropic displacement of the A-site Bi³⁺ and La³⁺ along the a-axis. This contrasts with the neodymium analogue Bi₀.₇Nd₀.₃FeO₃ in which a combination of increasing A-site displacements in the ac-plane and decrease in both in-phase and anti-phase tilts combine with superexchange giving rise to negative thermal expansion at low temperature. The A-site displacements correlate with the orthorhombic strain. By carefully changing the synthesis conditions, a significant change in bulk conductivity was observed for a number for Bi₁₋ₓLaₓFeO₃ compositions. A series of Bi₀.₆La0.₄FeO₃ samples are discussed, where changes in the second step of the synthesis result in significantly different bulk conductivities. This behaviour is also observed in other compositions e.g. Bi₀.₇₅La₀.₂₅FeO₃. Changes in the electrical behaviour as a function of temperature are discussed in terms of phase composition and concentration gradients of defects. Activation energies associated with the conduction process(es) in Bi₁₋ₓLaₓFeO₃ samples, regardless of composition, fall within one of two broad regimes, circa. 0.5 eV or 1.0 eV, associated with polaron hopping or migration of charge via oxygen vacancies, respectively. The use of symmetry-mode analysis, in combination with conventional crystallographic analysis and electrical analysis using multi-formulism approach, presents a new paradigm for investigation of structure-property relationships in rare earth doped BiFeO₃.

Rapid changes in global and local climate and weather, noticeable over our lifetimes, have spurred heated public and political debate over the cause of these climatic changes, whether or not we can reverse, stop or slow down this process, and how to create adequate models that can predict Earth's changing climate. To create the most accurate models of future climate, many researchers look to past greenhouse intervals for insight; intervals of time identified by high modeled atmospheric CO2, a lack of glacial deposits, and geologic evidence of globally high sea-levels--all of which suggest little to no glacial ice and a relatively monotonous climate. However, recent stratigraphic and geochemical evidence from the Cretaceous 'supergreenhouse' interval document compelling evidence to support dynamic greenhouse climates. The goals of the studies hereafter described are to document and describe orbital-scale (104-105 yr) climate fluctuations recorded by δ18O as a proxy for glacio-eustasy and sea surface temperature and µNd as a proxy for continental weathering and wet/warm or dry/cool climate during two global greenhouse intervals: the Late Silurian and Late Devonian. The first study (Chapter 1) explores whether glacio-eustasy was the driver for orbital-scale shallowing-upward cycles developed in Late Silurian and early Late Devonian tropical and subtropical greenhouse climates. Two intra-cycle δ18O conodont apatite trends were observed: asymmetric trends demonstrating progressive δ18O increases coincident with facies shallowing, or symmetric trends demonstrating initially decreasing, then increasing δ18O values. These isotopic trends and intra-cycle magnitudes support the hypothesis that these cycles developed in response to glacio-eustasy during glacial stages, implying that Late Silurian and Late Devonian greenhouse climates were more dynamic than traditionally assumed. Relationships between orbital-scale continental weathering flux and glacial-interglacial marine cycles was first assessed comparing intra-cycle µNd and δ18O values from Middle Pennsylvanian icehouse cycles (Chapter 2). Observed conodont δ18O trends support previous interpretations that sampled cycles were generated by glacio-eustasy (30-50 m magnitudes) combined with

In this study, the skeletal remains of individuals under ten years of age from three archaeological sites in southwest Albania (Lofkënd Tumulus, Apollonia Tumulus 10 and Apollonia Tumulus 11) are analyzed to learn about differences in childhood health. Effects of physiological stress are investigated by looking at long bone lengths. The interpretive potential of poorly preserved material is expanded by considering frequencies of two non-specific indicators of stress, enamel defects and cribra orbitalia, which are observable on fragmented material. Findings indicate that long bones of perinates at Lofkënd are small in comparison to modern samples. Femur lengths of older juveniles are also small but consistent with measures from comparative archaeological samples. The frequency of cribra orbitalia is highest at Apollonia Tumulus 11 and lowest at Lofkënd. Enamel defects occur in younger individuals at Apollonia Tumulus 10 than at Lofkënd. Results suggest that stresses were greater and occurred earlier in life at the Apollonia sites than at Lofkënd.

In this thesis, various aspects of high-peak-power laser pulses are discussed, including the generation of pulses from a compact directly diode-pumped chirped-pulse-amplification (CPA) laser system, and the self-channeling of high-peak-power laser pulses in air. With the maturation of CPA laser systems, the amplification of laser pulses to the terawatt level is becoming common. With these pulses, even air acts as a nonlinear media with novel nonlinear effects seen only after a few meters of propagation. Due to self-focusing and self-phase modulation, an initially collimated high-peak-power pulse is shown to spatially collapse into a high-intensity regime, limited in spot size through the generation of a low-density plasma. Through an interplay of self-focusing, natural diffraction, and refraction from the generated plasma, a self-channel can form, leading to the propagation of a high-intensity pulse for distances of over 30 meters, limited by losses experienced during propagation. In this work, various experiments were performed to characterize the pulse during propagation in the self-channel, includes measurements on the spatial profile, spectral content, and energy contained in the high intensity core. Further, the ability to control the onset of filamentation was shown by changing the initial pulse duration through adjustments of the pulse chirp. Also, results of a numerical model which solves the nonlinear Schrodinger equation including ionization are shown. In the subsequent part of this thesis, the development of a compact, directly diode-pumped CPA laser system is described. This system produced high-peak-power (100 MW), 450-fs pulses at repetition rates in excess of 1 kHz. This section proceeds from a discussion of semiconductor laser diodes to the development of a diode-pumped Nd:glass modelocked oscillator (characterized by a high-dynamic-range autocorrelator) and regenerative amplifier. As well, based on a rate equation analysis, novel lifetime effects from cw-pumped regenerative amplifiers are shown. Finally, a discussion of different methods used to achieve better mode-matching from a multimode pump beam is presented. These include the use of highly doped gain media, the use of a lossless spatial filter to reduce the $M\sp2$ value of the diode beam, and matching of the cavity mode to the pump beam through use of an elliptical cavity mode.