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This thesis describes the development of reactions for the di-functionalisation of alkenes using a malonoyl peroxide. Chapter 1 examines the development of the an anti-oxyamination reaction of alkenes using a malonoyl peroxide. The investigation examines both the substrate scope of the process and explores further chemistry of the oxyaminated products to form heterocyclic derivatives. Chapter 2 describes the attempts to difunctionalised alkenes using a sulfur nucleophile and a malonoyl peroxide. The first successful new C-S bond formation used p-toluenesulfinic acid as the sulfur nucleophile which was accompanied by a 1,2-phenyl migration. This reaction mechanism was investigated to try to understand the formation of this unexpected product. Sulfonyl thioamide and acythioamide were investigated as alternative sulfur nucleophiles, however, the oxidation of the sulfur nucleophile by malonoyl peroxide was unavoidable. To probe the oxidation of the sulfur nucleophile, malonoyl peroxide was reacted with stilbene to form an orthoester which was then reacted with our sulfur nucleophile, providing insight into the mechanistic course of the process.

In recent years there has been much focus in Tennyson studies on the poet's Englishness. However, much less attention has been given to the equally important influence of the Celtic Nations on his poetry. The little work that has been written only touches on specific points in the poet's long career, with most of the work focusing on his Arthurian poetry. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to create a comprehensive overview of the influence and use of Celticism, which is defined as both the study of the reputation of the Celt and the set of values and stereotypes that surround the people, in the work of Tennyson throughout his career and to explore the poet's attitudes towards the Celt and how they shift over time through readings of his poetry. In the early phase of his career Tennyson seeks influence from the Celtic, although always to further a sense of English superiority by placing the Celt in the past in relation to the modern Saxon. What sympathy Tennyson has with the Celt is absent in much of his Arthurian poetry, which is designed to promote Saxon domination over the British Isles. This changes later in his career when, driven by threats to the stability of the British Empire, the poet begins to explore a parental relationship where the Saxon teaches the Celt the Saxonist values of stoicism and rationality. However, there is also a sense that the Saxon can learn how to be more Creative and Romantic from the Celt. This places Tennyson alongside the likes of Matthew Arnold as an important figure who can help modern readers understand Nineteenth Century Celticism.

This dissertation investigates how filmmakers use sound to foster the viewer's embodied engagement with fictional characters. Much has been captured on the role of the film image and its affective properties in our engagement with character in academic literature. However, far less has been reported on the role of sound, especially its close relationship with the image in our pre-reflective and embodied engagement with film. This study will tackle this gap in film studies with close reference to films directed by Lynne Ramsay and Darius Marder. These directors place sound design at the centre of the films I have chosen for this study and is used in varying ways to subjectively narrate characters who are psychologically complex due to trauma experiences. To portray character complexity, Ramsay and Marder will often challenge conventional filmmaking methods and narrative structures. Subsequently, on the surface, the internal states of these characters may appear difficult to access but by attending to sound and the affective feeling this may generate, we can begin to comprehend a character's feelings. By way of close film analysis and relevant theory, I will examine how these directors and their sound designers - Paul Davies and Nicolas Becker - utilise the multisensory capacity of sound to engage the viewer in a character's internal state. Theories of subjective narration in film studies such as Edward Branigan (1984) and Murray Smith (1995) examine how communication of character subjectivity does not necessarily adhere to a specific film technique such as point of view. This study examines how Ramsay and Marder draw on the aural equivalent, point of audition to subjectively narrate their protagonist's perceptual experience of trauma through sound. Both Ramsay and Marder draw on diegetic sound effects and ambience rather than the more commonly used dialogue or music soundtrack to subjectively narrate their character's perceptual experiences. This makes their work intriguing but also challenging in the sense that these sound elements simultaneously lure the viewer into a character's psychological state but can also make our access to him or her a challenge. Drawing on composer and film sound theorist Michel Chion's seminal writings on audio-visuality in cinema, I will also discuss how point of audition and other key sound techniques such as acousmatic sound, acoustic close-ups, audio-bridging, and the effects of added value in the sound-image relationship - how the sonic can enhance the visuals and vice versa - help the viewer to embody a character's experience in film. A core finding of this thesis is that Ramsay and Marder demonstrate an acute awareness of for how sound design can portray the perceptual experience of a character's interiority but also for how in the context of the image the viewer can obtain feelings with, or empathy with a character. The films that I have selected for this thesis, therefore, are arguably intended to be experiential for the viewer, where we are encouraged to observe our own perceptual experience through the subjective narration of characters. Consequently, the question of how our cinematic experience connects with our everyday aural perception is significant to this study. Such an investigation paves the way to a bigger, significant area of inquiry: how audio-visual aesthetics are well-matched to tackle important questions of human perception and meaning - specifically hearing - and why sound is particularly effective in the viewer's embodiment of film character. This thesis considers hearing as part of a larger sensory system, where it interconnects with other senses and as a result, concerns the multisensory potential of sound in our pre-reflective experience of cinema. Given the focus of my study and with the aim to illuminate the salience of sound in our sensory experience of film, I draw from a variety of disciplines; - cognitive studies, philosophy (phenomenology), psychology and neuroscience. Consequently, my thesis is grounded in an embodied cognition approach to cinema - a sub-discipline of cognitive film studies, where phenomenological experience and bodily feeling intersects with the study of the mind.

Digital literacy (DL) encompasses the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to critically, and reflectively use technology for different purposes. DL has emerged as a critical concept within the academic field due to the advancement in digital technology and affordances; educators are grappling with how to integrate technology into curriculum design and delivery. Crucially, technological advancement has profoundly changed the nature of work, making DL a key employability skill often required by employers, making students' DL development a significant role of a university education. However, no study has comprehensively investigated how DL is developed by graduates, their undergraduate experiences and expectations, and the employers' DL expectations within the Nigerian context. The researcher combined purposive and snowballing sampling in this mixed methods research to recruit 93 graduates and 7 lecturers via questionnaire, and 11 graduates, 8 lecturers, 10 employers and 4 Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) officials via a semi-structured interview. The study analysed the perspectives on how graduates' DL is developed and how graduates' DL aligns with employers' expectations. Additionally, the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) and 54 websites were analysed. This research found limited understanding of DL among stakeholders, that the BMAS is obsolete, the universities curricula are inadequate, university-employer collaboration is sporadic, PSRBs' engagement and impact are limited. A gap between graduates' DL, and employers' DL expectations is identified, with limited access to critical digital infrastructures (CDIs)/digital training impacting its development. Following the findings, this research has concluded that there is a need to redesign the BMAS; enhance staff development, create a robust digital environment with good technology access, develop and apply DL policies. Additionally, there is a need for greater university, PSRBs and employer engagement with improved oversight. Finally, the researcher mapped these recommendations onto a conceptual framework for students' DL development and contextualised to Nigerian university education.

This thesis is focused on characterising Oxia Planum, the landing site for the ExoMars 2022 Rosalind Franklin rover. This involved the investigation and mapping out of the sites' Clay-bearing Unit, as well as digitising the extensive fracture networks present, using visible to near infrared images. Alongside this a prototype geotechnics tool intended for inclusion on a future Mars mission, the Small Planetary Linear Impulse Tool (SPLIT), was tested to determine how it compares to existing geotechnics tools. The Clay-bearing Unit, consisting of two subunits, was investigated and mapped using the  instruments. This was performed to better understand Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) and High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) how the Clay-bearing Unit varies over its extent, and if any such variations correlated to other features at the site. It was found that differences between the two subunits are likely due to mineralogical variation rather than differences in surficial cover, with the formation of the subunits occuring before a channel-forming stage of aqueous activity at the site. Fracture digitisation using HiRISE was also performed, with sites from units at Oxia Planum having their fracture networks digitised and parametrised. These were compared to each other and with sites at Gale Crater; sites on the margins of an unnamed crater within the Vastitas Borealis north polar region; and two Earth-based sites. This indicates that several mechanisms are unlikely to have caused the fracturing seen at Oxia Planum e.g., hydraulic fracturing and thermal fracturing, and identified that the fracturing within the Clay-bearing and Capping Units likely originated during separate fracturing episodes. SPLIT is an instrument designed to remove the upper layers of a target rock, revealing unaltered material to depths of several centimetres. Testing was carried out on Martian analogue samples in field trials and laboratory tests. These tests were generally successful, defined as removing volumes comparable to that achieved using existing instrumentation, with a smaller power expenditure and in less time. However failure to operate on gypsum due to its friability, as well as on a sandstone and a siltstone sample due to the lack of exploitable weaknesses and low mass of these samples (~3 kg), highlight the mass and material strength limits at which SPLIT can nominally operate.

The relative survival framework is a popular method for the estimation of a subject's survival, corrected for the effect of non-disease related causes of death. A comparison is made between the observed all-cause survival and the expected survival, derived from published population mortality rates known as life tables, often stratified by age, sex, and calendar year. Under certain assumptions, relative survival provides an estimate of net survival, survival in a hypothetical world where subjects can only die due to their disease. In order to interpret relative survival as net survival, other-cause mortality rates for subjects with the disease of interest must be the same as expected mortality rates. When interest lies in the relative survival of diseases with multiple shared risk factors, for example lung cancer, the use of standard life tables is unsuitable, requiring additional stratification by these risk factors. The primary aim of this research is use a control population taken from large-scale linked electronic health records to adjust published life tables by comorbidity, and to investigate the impact of these and standard life tables on relative survival estimates. To achieve these research aims, bespoke software is developed to aid the management of large-scale health data, while investigations into mortality rates in the control population data is undertaken, showing biased results when follow-up requirements form part of patient selection. Comorbidity adjusted life tables are estimated using time-constant and time-updated exposures, and applied in a relative survival analysis in colorectal cancer, comparing groups defined by cardiovascular comorbidity status. This research extends concepts and methods previously developed to form novel approaches to the adjustment of background mortality data, taking into account the induced bias in the control population, and showing the importance of the use of correctly stratified life tables, with key implications for future studies investigating differential mortality rates.

This thesis details the findings of a mixed-methods research project aimed at investigating educational psychologists' (EPs) experiences of occupational stress and well-being, and implications for practice. In Phase 1 of the study, data (N = 300) were collected across England via an online quantitative survey using two validated data collection instruments: the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) and the Short Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS). These were used to measure levels of occupational stress and well-being as well as any relationships between the individual constructs of compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), secondary traumatic stress (STS), and well-being. The results from Phase 1 indicated that 78% of participants reported low or moderate levels of compassion satisfaction, 72% of participants reported moderate or high levels of burnout, and 73% reported moderate or high levels of secondary traumatic stress. 99% of the participants' well-being scores fell within the low or medium category, with over 85% of the total reported well-being scores falling below the 2011 Health Survey for England mean score of 23.5 for women, and 23.7 for men. The mean well-being score for the present study was 20.8. For phase 2, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with EPs (N = 12) to explore the experiences of EPs in relation to some of the patterns that emerged in the phase 1 data by examining the risk factors, protective factors, and implications for EP practice. The analysis highlights the risk of burnout and compassion fatigue, as well as EPs experiencing an increased sense of loss of autonomy and feelings of helplessness since the COVID-19 pandemic. Protective factors were profoundly situated within the context of time spent with colleagues and opportunities to make a difference. Implications for EP practice include the necessity for increased recognition and urgent action to address the high levels of occupational stress experienced by educational psychologists. This research also raises concerns about systemic issues within the broader systems that not only directly affect EPs, but also the inclusion and well-being of children, young people, and the families they serve.

This doctoral thesis is a collection of three papers that study topics related to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) - the key cause of death globally, challenging health systems and economies. First, we analyse the dietary changes, a major risk factor of NCDs in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and examine the role of education as a mechanism to improve healthy food demand. We use the food consumption data of Sri Lanka. Using the demand elasticities estimated from the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS), we prove that the enhancement of the living standards of the people has led them towards a rather unhealthy diet. This adds economic evidence to the literature on the occurrence of nutritional transition leading to the growth of NCDs in LMICs. Further, the study fills the dearth of evidence in the literature on the role of education in dietary choices in LMICs. We show that education plays a significant role in enhancing healthy food demand, however, it does not help to discourage the demand for unhealthy food. Yet, education helps to improve diet quality when individuals have diet-related diseases, i.e. diabetes. We show the possibility of effective use of price policies to encourage healthy consumption and discourage unhealthy consumption in LMICs. Second, we investigate the household consumption impact of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures arising from chronic NCDs (C-NCDs) and how it changes according to the shifts in public health expenses. We use a matching method to estimate the crowding-out effect and a Matched Difference-in-Difference (MDID) method to identify the changes in the crowding-out effect according to changes in public healthcare expenses. We use the data of Sri Lanka, an LMIC, and show that the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses arising from C-NCDs have grown faster than such expenses of other health conditions during the last two decades. We show that public healthcare provision plays a significant role in C-NCD care, and a reduction in public spending leads to a further increase in the household burden of the treatment cost. The increasing out-of-pocket expenses due to C-NCDs are crowded-out on households' basic needs, such as food and clothing, particularly in low and middle- income households. Accordingly, the study highlights that the lessening of public spending and the absence of health insurance to cover healthcare costs of C-NCDs care generate adverse impacts on household welfare. Third, we provide novel evidence on how the livelihood of people with NCDs was affected by COVID-19. We explore the impact of COVID-19 on the labour market outcomes of individuals with NCDs using the data from the Understanding Society COVID-19 Study in the UK. The difference-in-difference estimates reveal that the pandemic negatively affected the likelihood of engaging in work and the work duration of people with NCDs. We show that their probability of engaging in work negatively relates to the severity of the pandemic, whereas the amount of work hours gradually decreases throughout the pandemic resulting in a significant gap between the pre and post-Covid work amount. The work loss is higher for the upper age group of the workforce and the individuals with riskier health conditions to Covid-19. Although the pandemic did not cause it to deteriorate further, the low mental and physical health of individuals with NCDs may lead them to exit the labour market, raising concerns about their welfare during the post-covid period.

This thesis analyses filmmaking as a spatial practice and proposes the architectural essay film as a form of feminist space making. As a departure point it examines how architectural representation has been conditioned by conventions of static, ocular-centric and binary images of the so called man made environment. In response to this position it introduces the architectural essay film as an alternative image of architecture, where openness, fluidity, and interdisciplinarity create a correspondence between space-making and film language. The writing is methodological in nature, positioning the thesis within my film practice and interrogating how processes such as cinematography and editing can be discussed in connection to their spatial implications. The thesis is arranged as an essay that critically reflects on these questions, while walking through the garden of the Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, Lunuganga, the subject of my film, Bawa's Garden. Designed so the reader can wander simultaneously through the chapters and garden, it is a space built on polysemy and multiplicity, demonstrating the possibilities that arise from examining filmmaking from a spatial dimension. Practice-based research is underpinned by theory in the fields of architectural phenomenology and spatial psychoanalysis, drawing from the work of Luce Irigaray and Beatriz Colomina, to examine why architectural documentary has been dominated by an objectified and monocultural system of representation. In film theory the emphasis has been grounded in feminist visual phenomenology including Giuliana Bruno and Vivian Sobchack, to explore a film language that invites a multi-sensory, embodied reading of our built environment and the filmmaking process.

The United Downs Deep Geothermal Project (UDDGP) is situated near Redruth in Cornwall and is the first deep (5 km) geothermal power project to commence in the UK. Two deviated geothermal wells, one of which is the deepest UK onshore borehole, have been completed to measured depths of 2393 m and 5275 m (2214 m and 5054 m true vertical depth). These intersect the NNW-SSE-trending Porthtowan Fault Zone (PTFZ), within the Early Permian Cornubian Batholith. High heat flow values in SW England, double the UK background, make the region a favourable geothermal target, with elevated geothermal gradients of 36 °C/km compared to the UK average of 26 °C/km. The high surface heat flow is principally caused by the elevated U, Th and K within the crust. The Cornubian Batholith is composite and can be divided, near surface, into five different granite types (G1-G5) that were formed through variable degrees of source rock partial melting at different temperatures, and fractional crystallisation processes. As a consequence, the granites have heterogeneous U, Th and K contents that control heat generation and heat flow. Previous high-resolution airborne gamma-ray data has demonstrated the spatial variation in near-surface granite heat production, and the Rosemanowes Hot Dry Rock (HDR) Project has provided U, Th and K distributions to depths of 2652 m in the Carnmenellis Granite. However, challenges remain for modelling the high surface heat flow due to uncertainties relating to the radioelement concentrations at greater depths, the volume and distribution of the granites and petrogenetic controls on the U and Th distribution. To address these issues, the research had three aims: 1) to evaluate potential biases involved in the sampling and analysis of drill cuttings and to develop a robust analytical procedure; 2) to reassess genetic models for the Cornubian Batholith, specifically the Carnmenellis granite, from U and Th data; 3) determine the heat flow at United Downs and place the heat production profile and petrogenesis of the granites within the context of the 1D heat budget model for SW England lithosphere. Drill cutting biases occur due to wellbore processes (e.g. cutting depth constraints, contamination), surface sampling (e.g. loss of fines) and laboratory analysis (e.g. measurement volumes in a given size fraction). The effects of these issues on the representivity of the cuttings are evaluated from modelling cutting depth constraints during well transport, quantifying compositional variations between the coarse (> 2 mm) and bulk (> 63 um) cutting fractions, and statistical analysis on the measurement volumes. The evaluation of the UDDGP cuttings illustrated that they have a depth resolution of c. 10 m. Soft, friable and liberated accessory minerals concentrate within the fines and are preferentially lost within the bulk cutting fraction (> 63 μm) compared to the coarse fraction (>2 mm). Despite these biases, reliable interpretation of the geochemical and mineralogical data is still possible as the natural granite variability is greater than the biases produced during drilling. A multi-proxy approach, using mineralogy, whole rock geochemistry, mineral chemistry and U-Pb zircon geochronology was used to understand the granite petrogenesis and emplacement mechanisms. The proxies identified four granite facies, derived from discrete batch melting events over a period of c. 4.3 Ma. Two granite sub-groups exhibit internal fractionation trends. The dominant compositional control are heterogeneities in the source rock and melt temperature, contrary to previous petrogenetic interpretations that invoked fractional crystallisation (Chappell & Hine, 2006; Simons et al., 2016). Spectral gamma (U, Th) forms a reliable proxy for separating non-cogenetic and cogenetic melts, and thus can be used for future petrogenetic studies, well correlation and understanding the origins of the U and Th distributions with depth. The United Downs temperature field was evaluated using the equilibrium temperature log, high temperature (170 °C) thermal conductivity measurements, spectral gamma (U, Th, K) wireline log and a 1D heat balance model. The heat flow of United Downs was determined to be 114 mWm-2 (± 10%), similar to previous estimates from the Rosemanowes Hot Dry Rock Project. There is a substantial increase in Th below 3000 m that indicates the deeper parts of the batholith contribute substantially to overall heat production. Despite the high heat production at depth, it is still not enough to reconcile surface high heat flows with the current granite thickness models, therefore deeper heat sources must be invoked. Overall this thesis has characterised the geology and temperature field to a depth of 5,054 m from the United Downs Deep Geothermal Project (UD-1). The research has contributed to the understanding of the temperature gradients and anomalously high heat flows that are characteristic of SW England. Granite heat production has been linked in a petrogenetic context for the first time within SW England.

A substantial increase in the number of refugees has occurred in the recent decade, with the majority of this increase occurring between 2012 and 2015 as a result of the Syrian conflict. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data, the number of refugees was 10.5 million in 2012, while it stood at 32.5 million as of December 2022. The growth of the refugee population is an increasing concern for origin states, refugee-hosting states, international aid organisations, and, most importantly, refugees themselves. In this regard, a study of refugees can contribute significantly to an understanding of their socioeconomic impact and experiences in a given country; it also facilitates the development of national and international policy in this area. This dissertation examines the factors affecting the integration of refugees into the workforce in a host country, the correlation between traditional gender roles and the gender gap in labour force supply, and the impact of refugees on the labour market in order to contribute to the literature in this field. Thus, there are three chapters in this dissertation that focus on refugee economies. In the first chapter, factors associated with the integration of refugees into the labour market in a developing country context are examined. This study makes an important contribution as little is known about the economic experience of refugees, and existing studies have mainly been conducted in developed countries. This chapter discusses the labour market integration of refugees by relying on primary survey data from 807 Syrian refugees across Jordan. The study explores the contribution of general health problems, human capital, social capital, refugee policy, and being camp residents on the probability of employment and upward economic mobility of refugees. The empirical results show that general health problems, labour market restrictions, and being camp residents negatively associate with the probability of employment and upward economic mobility for refugees. Labour market restrictions especially have a larger negative influence on women and refugees who have a high-educational background. The findings also indicate that refugees who completed job-related training in Jordan are more likely to be employed than those who did not complete job training, this inclusive refugee policy especially increases the probability of women employment. The second chapter examines whether traditional gender role attitudes contribute to the gender gap in the labour force among refugees by using a set of gender index questions about traditional gender attitudes. The ratio of refugee women in the labour market is lower than their male counterparts regardless of destination countries, but little is known about the link between traditional gender role attitudes and labour market outcomes of refugee women. The research is based on primary survey data with Syrian refugees in Jordan from March 2020 to September 2021 in Jordan. The study also examines the association between traditional gender norms and Jordanian women's participation in the labour force within a national context. The research aims to provide plausible explanations for the underrepresentation of women in the labour market. The research findings show that the gender gap among Syrian refugees is higher than among Jordanians since refugees are not allowed to work in all sectors as their Jordanian counterparts are. In addition, the findings show that Syrian refugee women who hold anti-egalitarian attitudes are 46.7 per cent less likely to join the labour force compared to women who adhere to egalitarian views. Additionally, results show that Jordanian women who spend more time on unpaid care work activities are 64.5 per cent less likely to enter the labour force, as the uneven distribution of unpaid care work between men and women hinders their economic development. The findings suggest that low women's labour force participation must be understood through the lens of traditional gender role attitudes. Finally, the research findings can be valuable to policymakers who aim to reduce the gender gap in the labour market in the developing country context. The Syrian civil war began in 2011 and forced a large number of displaced migrants from Syria to Jordan, which is one of Syria's neighbours. The third chapter empirically investigates the impact of Syrian refugees on the labour market outcomes of native-born citizens in Jordan. I explore a posited causal relationship between the number of Syrian refugees and native-born citizens' labour market outcomes in Jordan through micro-level household labour surveys. This paper considers the migration of displaced Syrians to Jordan as two waves, unlike previous papers, where the motive for the initial wave from 2011 to 2014 differed from that of the second flow. The initial migration of Syrians to Jordan was exogenous as they were escaping from the civil war in Syria. This makes a significant difference in the labour market outcomes of native-born citizens in Jordan. To capture the shortterm effects of refugees on Jordanians' labour market outcomes, the research employed Difference-in-Differences (DiD) models. There is an increase in the unemployment-to-population ratio for men and women associated with refugee movements, according to the research findings. In addition, as a result of the forced movement of Syrian refugees into Jordan, native-born citizens in the treatment area experience a reduction in labour force participation by 3.3 percentage points compared to the native-born citizens in the control area. Finally, the findings indicate that Syrian refugees adversely affect the wages of native-born employees in a short-term context, but this impact is not statistically significant. Recent years have seen a significant increase in the number of refugees around the world, which highlights the importance of conducting research on factors that affect refugees' integration into the labour market, the gender gap, and the impact of refugees on native-born workers. The current global refugee crisis is affecting millions of people around the world, and it is often referred to as the worst displacement crisis since the Second World War. A study of refugees presents an opportunity to investigate the socioeconomic impacts of refugees, as well as to provide a deeper understanding of what refugees experience in host countries. The framework presented in this research has been useful as it discusses refugee integration and reality in policy formulation and possible solutions pertaining to the worldwide refugee crisis.

Hypertension is the leading modifiable cause of premature death worldwide. Some hypertensive individuals develop left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) and myocardial fibrosis, increasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, whereas some hypertensive individuals have normal LV structure and function. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and immune system are known to play a role in hypertension and cardiac remodelling; however, it remains unknown whether inflammation causes sympathetic overactivation, or if elevated sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) induces inflammation in hypertension. This thesis hypothesised that inflammation would precede sympathetic overactivation in the development of cardiac remodelling. Temporal changes in lumbar SNA and inflammatory markers in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were observed from 10-weeks-old to 15-weeks-old, with circulating IL-18 found to be a significant predictor of LVH. However, due to issues with data collection, lumbar SNA data was inconclusive. This thesis also aimed to identify whether resting SNA or SNA reactivity was associated with cardiac remodelling in humans. Resting SNA was found to predict concentric cardiac remodelling, and SNA reactivity was a predictor of cardiac fibrosis in people with and without hypertension. Resting SNA was also found to predict circulating IL-18, confirming a link between SNA and inflammation, although no inflammatory markers were associated with cardiac remodelling. However, a type III collagen synthesis marker, amino-terminal propeptide of procollagen type III (PIIINP) was found to predict LVH, but no markers predicted myocardial fibrosis. Additionally, stress induced increases in SNA were found to be sustained in recovery in hypertensive but not normotensive individuals, having implications for increased cardiovascular risk. Finally, hypertensive individuals had an increased rise in pro-inflammatory markers following exercise, with change in IL-10 being an independent predictor of ECV. Overall, this thesis has shown resting SNA and SNA reactivity predict cardiac remodelling and circulating IL-18, IL-10 and PIIINP may be potential biomarkers to predict cardiac remodelling.

Chapter 1: Does lead pollution increase crime? We perform the first meta-analysis of the effect of lead on crime, pooling 542 estimates from 24 studies. The effect of lead is overstated in the literature due to publication bias. Our main estimates of the mean effect sizes are a partial correlation of 0.16, and an elasticity of 0.09. Our estimates suggest the abatement of lead pollution may be responsible for 7-28% of the fall in homicide in the US. Given the historically higher urban lead levels, reduced lead pollution accounted for 6-20% of the convergence in US urban and rural crime rates. Lead increases crime, but does not explain the majority of the fall in crime observed in some countries in the 20th century. Additional explanations are needed. Chapter 2: How does lead pollution affect birth outcomes? Does a mother's lead exposure increase the risk of child death? Does it lower the infant's birthweight (a proxy for later health outcomes)? We test these hypotheses by examining an intervention in the Scottish water supply, which reduced water lead levels and blood lead levels in Scotland's largest two cities. In our main estimates, we use a staggered difference-in-differences design estimated with two-way Mundlak pooled OLS. We do not find the lead reduction interventions reduced birthweights. However, we do find that they may have had a large effect on infant deaths. Our main estimates suggest lead reduction accounts for 0.3-0.1 percentage points decrease in deaths in Glasgow and a 0.7-0.1 percentage points decrease in deaths in the Alnwickhill water plant supplied area of Edinburgh. However, these results are not robust to alternative specifications, and therefore can only be taken as weak evidence of an effect. Chapter 3: Does lead pollution harm educational achievement? And are the marginal effects greater at low or high levels of lead? We use exogenous variation in lead pollution from water treatment in Glasgow, Scotland, combined with within-household sibling differences, to estimate the effect of lead on education. We compare pre- and post-treatment sibling differences between treated and control areas with difference-in-differences estimation. We find a clear dose-response relationship. Treated areas with low prevalence of lead piping show no change compared to a control group. In contrast, high lead pipe prevalence areas show improvement in educational outcomes. Our findings indicate that countries and areas with very high levels of lead can expect large educational gains from even small amounts of lead abatement, while those with already low levels of lead can expect much lower marginal improvements.

SMEs use more than 13% of global energy, so they are an important target to help achieve UK Net Zero targets. However, SMEs manage energy poorly, and little is understood about how to influence them to improve energy management. Responding to this challenge, from 2018-2020, the UK Government delivered an £8.8 million Non-Domestic Smart Energy Management Innovation Competition (NDSEMIC), which funded the development of innovative smart meter data-based energy management tools. This thesis presents an action research study exploring the question: How do owner-managed SMEs respond to the development and testing of new smart meter data-based energy management tools? The study involved working with one of the Competition participants, a technology innovation business, to inform the design of the tools from which a prototype was developed. Subsequently, the tools were tested, and other applications for smart meter and related data were explored with three owner-managed SMEs, two small independent chains of coffee-shops and cycle-shops and a coffee roastery business. The findings identify that SMEs respond entrepreneurially to developing and testing smart meter data-based tools. Entrepreneurial activities led to identifying new potential uses for the tools to those anticipated at the outset; identifying operational roles, such as managing quality, productivity and premises security. Entrepreneurialism theory, developed in SME business management research includes heuristics called Causation, Effectuation and Absence of Strategy. These heuristics are used to help better understand SME decision-making when responding to the development and testing of new energy management tools. These heuristics are recommended as a helpful approach to better conceptualise how to influence SME decision-making to improve energy management.

Soccer is regarded as the world's most popular sport, performance in which depends on a range of factors generally characterised as being technical, tactical, physical, or psychological. The lucrative nature of the sport has allowed clubs to invest in academies in the hope of developing future players. These academies are supported by a range of practitioners, alongside investment in further understanding talent identification and talent development. A key role of practitioners within clubs is monitoring the load undertaken by players, with the aim of supporting training prescription to optimise performance and reduce the risk of injury. This thesis develops around five projects, analysing commonly used objective and subjective measures of training load to establish their relationships, developing novel methods of analysing subjective load, and testing the implementation of these methods within the transition from academy to full-time professional soccer. The first data chapter aimed to describe and quantify relationships between subjective and external measures of training load in professional youth soccer players. Data from differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) and seven measures of external load were collected from twenty youth professional soccer players over a 47-week season. Relationships were described via bivariate correlations and multivariate factor analysis methods. Results from these analyses suggested that there was a theoretical dispersion between measures which may be representative of volume, such as total distance covered, and measures which may be representative of intensity, such as sprint distance. Additionally, it was found that subjective measures of breathlessness and lower body muscle exertion provided limited additional insight over gestalt ratings of perceived exertion (sRPE) within the analysed population. The second data chapter investigated the influence of training theme or competition on previously described relationships. Subjective load data was collected via sRPE and seven external load measures. General characteristics of training sessions were categorised based on their proximity to match day, with match-play also included within the analyses. Similarly to the first data chapter, analysis presented two, or three, readily interpretably components. The first component was represented by measures of volume, whilst the second and third components were generally represented by measures of intensity. This supports the finding of study one, that the identification of multiple components indicate that load monitoring should comprise multiple variables. Whilst generally the findings of this study mirrored study one, there were minor differences which suggest that effective monitoring practices should account for the demands of different session types. The third data chapter assessed the relationship between subjective and external load measures whilst accounting for the impact of phase of season. Subjective load relationships were collected via RPE, whilst data were collected via microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices to analyse seven external load variables. Data were collected across a 47-week season with phases categorised as being pre-season phase, or competitive phases. Interestingly, when performing principal component analysis and using an alternative method to determine component extraction, only one component was retained for the competitive phases, whilst two components were retained for the pre-season phase. However, if using previously utilised methods similar results would have been found as to the previous data chapters. These findings highlight the importance of clearly defined methodology within factor analysis. Additionally, these results highlight that factoring load based on measures of volume and intensity may be considered as worthwhile practice by practitioners. Given the collective results from the previous data chapters, the aim of the fourth data chapter was to investigate the structure of relationships between measures of training load and assess whether these can be modified through non-linear transformations. To control for the effects of session duration, sessions were categorised into short (≤ 60mins) or long (> 60mins), based on the mean session duration for both training and match-play. All sRPE were analysed in their raw form and with the inclusion of session duration (sRPE-TL). Additionally, sRPE and sRPE-TL was modified through nonlinear transformations by raising to a series of exponentials to provide a metric termed "modified RPE" (sRPEmod). Similarly, to previous data chapters, following PCA two components were retained which provided theoretical representations of volume or intensity. Non-linear transformations had little effect on loading profiles for long sessions. For short sessions the loading became more equal between intensity and volume for sRPE-TL, and more aligned to intensity for sRPE. The study demonstrated that sRPE and sRPE-TL predominantly reflect measures of training volume, however, these measures can be modified to better reflect intensity for training sessions less than 60mins in duration. A key issue within soccer is optimising the transition of players going from academy to full-time professional soccer, therefor the aim of the fifth data chapter was to investigate the load experienced by players undergoing this transition. Additionally, the chapter aimed to determine whether subjective measures of load can provide useful insight into training volume, training intensity, or a combination of the two constructs in an applied setting. Data were collected from 4 academy players who had been identified as transitioning into full-time soccer. Data were then collected the following pre-season from the pre-determined transitioning players, and current development squad players. Subjective data were collected via sRPE and sRPEmod, whilst external load measures were collected via MEMS devices. Results showed that there were significant differences between academy and transition phases for players with regards to sRPEmod and weekly sRPE and sRPEmod. There were no significant differences identified between the academy and transition phase for daily sRPE or sRPE-TL. With regards to external measures of load, there were no significant differences between transition and development players in either sessional or weekly measures. These findings suggest that using a proposed modified subjective measure to identify differences in the load experienced by transition, academy, and development players, however the exact nature of these differences is unknown. The collective findings in this thesis highlight relationships between subjective and external measures of load within youth soccer players. The results highlight the lack of additional information provided by dRPE, questioning the use of this measure within this population. Additionally, the results highlight that it appears logical to factor load based on volume and intensity, and that these relationships appear to remain relatively consistent regardless of training theme or stage of season. This thesis also highlights complexities involved in modifying subjective measures of load to provide a greater representation of intensity to allow practitioners who may not have access to external load measures to greater account for this. Whilst the methods proposed showed the relationship between subjective and external measures could be modified, this was only for short duration sessions. Finally, when monitoring the transition of players from academy to full-time professional soccer it was shown that sRPEmod highlighted differences within players undergoing a transition, however the exact nature of this was unclear. These findings can be used to enhance the monitoring approaches of practitioners working within professional soccer. Additionally, these findings provide evidence that practitioners who are limited to subjective measures of load should consider alternative methods if monitoring training intensity is required. Further research is required to investigate modifying subjective measures of load to greater represent intensity. Additionally, further research is required to understand the load experienced by players undergoing a transition from academy to full-time professional environments.

Wonder is an essential human emotion and a chief effect of poetry. In this thesis, I have set out to explore its role in my own poetic practice and in my critical readings of Romantic and contemporary poets. My poems are driven into being by moments and observations that lie just outside language. This is an essential starting place for writing that hopes to evoke and enact wonder; the writer must balance the competing impulse to guide the reader intelligibly towards the narrative conditions for wonder (the circumstances that make the feeling possible), while allowing for wonder's inherent disorientation and inconclusiveness. A poem that too neatly and tidily squares away the confusions of wonder forfeits the power of the feeling. Wonder is an end in itself. In my close reading, I have chosen literary examples that do succeed at suggesting in language something just beyond articulation, poems whose gestures intimate a pleasing breach to understanding while revealing a widened sense of what is possible. The first part of my critical study focuses on Romantic examples while the second part examines contemporary writings, including my own forthcoming collection, 'Wound' is the Origin of Wonder (W.W. Norton 2022; Picador 2023), to consider how poets today draw from their Romantics predecessors to respond to the needs of the moment, and to offer their own unique engagement with the world's wonders. I hope to draw the reader's attention to the epistemological, ontological, and aesthetic nature of the questions raised by the subject of wonder in poetry, and to prove that the lens of wonder is not only deeply rich and fascinating but also inherently valuable. As Thomas Ewens writes on education in the arts, "one should be attentive to situate one's concerns in the experience of wonder which reveals itself as the heart of our living". It may seem rather dramatic to suggest that our future survival depends on our ability to wonder, but I suspect it is more right than not. Wonder deepens our cognitive compassion and our empathy for each other through the recognition of the unlikeliness and preciousness of existence. It is time we recognize poetry as the chief vehicle for its edifying purpose.

In spite of the amount of new tools and methodologies adopted in the road infrastructure sector, the performance of road infrastructure projects is not constantly improving. Considering that the volume of projects undertaken is forecasted to increase every year, this is a substantial issue for the road infrastructure sector. Hence this work focuses on the principles of Blockchain Technology, road infrastructure sector and the information exchange with the aim to use the advantages of the Blockchain Technology in supporting to overcome the various challenges along the life cycle of road infrastructure projects. Within the scope of this paper, two studies were conducted. First, focus groups were used to explore where society (road infrastructure sector) stands in terms of industry 4.0 and to get a better understanding if and where the principles of Blockchain Technology can be used when managing projects in the road infrastructure sector. Second, semi-structured interviews were administrated with experts of the road infrastructure sector and experts of Blockchain Technology to better understand the interrelation between these two areas. Based on the outcome of the two studies, technology barriers and enablers were explored for the purpose of improved information exchange within the road infrastructure sector. The two studies revealed that there are significant and strong interrelations between the principles of the Blockchain Technology, project management within the road infrastructure sector and information exchange. These interrelations are complex and diverse, but overall it can be concluded that the adoption of the principles of Blockchain Technology into the field of information exchange improves the management of road infrastructure projects. Based on the two studies a theoretical framework was developed. In summary this research showed that trust is an important factor and builds the foundation for communication and to ensure a proper information exchange. Within the scope of this thesis, it was demonstrated that the principles of the Blockchain Technology can be used to increase transparency, traceability and immutability during the life cycle of road infrastructure projects in the area of information exchange.

Contemporary radical right political parties, organisations, and members represent a serious threat to society. While a considerable amount of research has assessed the threat they pose and how we might respond to it, little attention has been paid to the epistemic activities of members of the radical right and how they may restrict the circulation of epistemic goods necessary for the development and modification of effective responses. In this thesis, I explore the possibility that members of the radical right suffer epistemic injustice. I maintain that there is a strong reason for affirming this possibility according to how members of the radical right engage and are treated during epistemic activities. Additionally, I provide insight into why this epistemic injustice is significant and how we might address it. Epistemic injustice is a relatively new theory in philosophy. By combining three spheres of philosophy, namely the epistemic, the political, and the ethical, epistemic injustice investigates how common epistemic practices may function such that injustice is inflicted on people bearing particular social identities. That is, people are unfairly undermined in their capacities as knowers, mistreating them in relation to knowledge, understanding and participation in communicative practices. I argue that members of the radical right suffer two forms of epistemic injustice. Firstly, they suffer testimonial injustice when their credibility is determined and subsequently diminished because of the negative identity-prejudicial stereotype (NIPS) that overlooks the ideological features on which the radical right and the extreme right differ and the framework set out to reflect them. By applying Iris Marion Young's social connection model (SCM), I locate those causally connected to the testimonial injustice as being responsible for addressing it. Secondly, members of the radical right suffer hermeneutical injustice because the collective epistemic repertoire is not receptive to the requisite epistemic resource that captures their societally pessimistic and nostalgic worldview. By utilising Young's SCM, I identify those who contribute to maintaining the structural phenomenon that carries the hermeneutical injustice as being responsible for addressing it. Finally, I investigate what follows from the epistemic injustice the radical right suffers in terms of remedial action. I recommend that in order to address the epistemic injustice they suffer, we ought to address the structural dimensions that carry it. I maintain that my investigation into the epistemic injustice that I argue members of the radical right suffer is significant because of the tripartite harms it causes. Specifically, those who suffer epistemic injustice and those complicit in the perpetration of epistemic injustice suffer because of it, while the epistemic system is damaged by it. Whilst the harm that those subject to and complicit in the perpetration suffer is of interest, I insist that the damage to the epistemic system is a crucial concern for self-interested reasons. Essentially, the epistemic injustice that the radical right suffers restricts the circulation of epistemic goods pertaining to their worldview and ideology. I propose that this restriction of epistemic goods can indirectly cause practical disadvantages for everyone who participates in the epistemic system when developing and modifying effective responses to the radical right. Therefore, impeding our ability to challenge the radical right appropriately and respond to the seeds of hate and division they sow within society.

This thesis utilizes systematic review and cross-sectional analyses to evaluate the impact of the indoor environment at an individual, household and area level on asthma outcomes, for a sub-population of social housing tenants in Cornwall, UK. Asthma is a chronic and complex disease which can develop or be exacerbated by exposure to air pollution and is responsible for 1400 deaths each year in England and Wales. Whilst much research has examined the health impacts of outdoor air pollution, which is regulated and declining, little has explored the indoor home environment. As a modifiable micro-environment, heavily influenced by individual action, a better understanding of the indoor environment and its components can help both individuals and policymakers to better plan and manage health and homes. As such, identifying the pollutants and allergens in the home which are responsible for the development of, and or exacerbation of asthma, and understanding the relationship with both other exposures, and the resultant asthma related health impacts, is critical to enable better mitigation, regulation, population health, healthier environments and better patient care. Using a pre published protocol, this thesis provides collective new evidence through the systematic synthesis of 14 studies meeting the inclusion criteria, that exposure to volatile organic compounds such as aromatic and aliphatic compounds in the home, is associated with an increased risk of asthma development and/or exacerbation. Exposure to VOCs in the home are also associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms such as a wheeze, even for individuals without a diagnosis of asthma. Further, using a series of univariate and multiple regression modelling a cross sectional analysis identified that increased time spent in homes with fungal contamination elicit worse asthma symptoms in asthmatic individuals, with noticeable differences in symptom severity between summer and winter. A protocol is demonstrated to model the indoor as a composite measure when examining dose response in relation to indoor air pollution. These findings indicate the need for improved links between health and home providers as well as individuals and pave the way for future research. Key implications for future health and home management, mitigation and education are discussed.

Anthropogenic climate change is disrupting the Earth's physical environment, which in turn impacts ecosystems. Warming is a particularly important physical stressor, as organisms tend to be temperature sensitive due to the role of thermodynamics in controlling metabolic rates. Resilient ecosystems can withstand environmental changes and maintain function. High ecosystem function and resilience are often attributed to high ecosystem diversity. However, the mechanisms linking ecosystem function, resilience and diversity are far from well understood. In this thesis, mathematical models of varying complexity are used to isolate processes relevant to the relationship between ecosystem diversity and resilience. The mechanisms investigated include 'trait diffusion' and 'resource partitioning'. Trait diffusion alters the distribution of phenotypic traits in a population, generating diversity as well as influencing ecosystem function and resilience. Resource partitioning occurs when different species are specialised to different environmental niches, in this case, resources. This complementarity between species can lead to higher function and diversity. When trait diffusion is present, high initial diversity is found to lead to lower ecosystem function, whereas the opposite is the case with resource partitioning. With both mechanisms, emergent diversity is not clearly correlated with ecosystem function. Trait diffusion allows short-lived species to adapt to warming, whereas long-lived species rely on initial diversity. More complex models are necessary for a sufficiently realistic representation of an ecosystem to make quantitative predictions. In this thesis, a size-structured dynamic energy budget model of fishes and invertebrates has been coupled to a spatially explicit model of corals and algae, to understand how warming impacts a coral reef ecosystem. Warming directly affects fishes and invertebrates by increasing their metabolic rate, resulting in changes to demographic processes such as growth rates. Indirect effects include the loss of reef habitat quality as coral bleaching reduces the availability of refuges. Modelled changes in biomass for +3⁰C of warming are found to be controlled predominantly by the direct effects of warming, and crucially for fisheries, the biomass of predators is modelled to decrease by at least 50% with +3⁰C of warming.

This thesis is a study of the reception and response to four generations of Italian cinema in the United States, specifically in the western region of the state of Pennsylvania. This approach considers the regional importance and influence of Italian diaspora consciousness, the Catholic Church, the advertising industry, and of course, the motion picture industry itself (largely the distribution and exhibition tiers of the industry business model) in sculpting outlooks in western Pennsylvania on Italian motion pictures. This amalgam of cultural and religious dynamics is an inseparable component of measuring audience reception and response in this case study region. As a foundation to this study, the relationship of Italian culture to American society is examined. This includes American political and social postures towards Italian culture in essence of contextualizing the events that transpired in the years examined in this study. My hope is that this study can contribute to the existing body of work on Italian cinema by illuminating new facets and threads of study that exist within the realm of regional reception and response in the United States outside of premier markets like New York City and Los Angeles. A comprehensive overview of the distribution of Italian cinema in western Pennsylvania has been completed and includes mapping details to illustrate when and where specific films were screened. In the process, assumptions about the dominance of eras like Italian neorealism in the American market will be tested against the outcomes of local reception and response in western Pennsylvania.

The study of the solid phases of hydrogen has become an area of intense interest in recent decades. The majority of this work has been focused on obtaining a solid metallic phase, famously predicted to exist by Wigner and Huntington in 1935. As a result of the search for metallic hydrogen, a rich phase diagram has gradually been uncovered and hydrogen is now believed to form at least five solid phases. Powerful computational techniques, utilising density functional theory (DFT), have been used to predict several structural candidates for each of these phases. However, owing to experimental constraints imposed by working with hydrogen at high pressure, none of the proposed candidates have been unequivocally verified. The most common experimental technique used to characterise the solid hydrogens is Raman spectroscopy. Analysis of the Raman spectra for a given system can often elucidate its precise structure and the nature of the excited states. Vibrational Raman transitions in solid hydrogen have been well described by DFT based methods, but the rotational spectra are not obtainable in this way. Significant nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) in hydrogen, cause the diatomic molecule to form a quantum rotor. The ground state has a spherically symmetric wavefunction and the angular momentum is quantised. In this thesis I present a single molecule method for predicting the rotational Raman signal of various systems of quantum rotors. I firstly apply this method to a diatomic molecule in a range of model mean-field potentials, and evaluate the evolution of the associated Raman spectra with field strength. This reveals that dramatic changes occur in the appearance of the Raman spectrum for a diatomic molecule without any associated change in the symmetry of the surrounding potential. I show that the ground state corresponds to a quantum rotor at low field strength and a quantum oscillator at high field strength. However, there are also 're-orientational' modes and many mixed modes which are neither rotons nor librons. The mass-dependence of the various states is different - rotors, oscillators and reorientations have 1/m, 1/√m and weaker mass dependence respectively. This may allow one to identify the character of the mode with isotope spectroscopy. However, it is complicated by mixed modes and transitions between two different eigenstates with different character. I demonstrate that with these simple potentials, all of which are simpler than those expected for any solid phase of hydrogen, interpretation of the Raman spectra is already overwhelming complex. Significant changes in the Raman spectra are seen even in a simple fixed symmetry potential, leading to the conclusion that such changes in isolation are not sufficient evidence for a phase transition in a diatomic solid. I adapt the method to recreate the experimental Raman signal for phase I in hydrogen and deuterium. I fit a parameterised mean-field consisting of long range electrostatic and short range steric terms to experimental data. The fitted potential reveals a large repulsion out of the A-B plane, consistent with recent neutron scattering data but in opposition to previous theoretical models. By incorporating experimental geometry into the model, I reveal the importance of such effects in predicting Raman spectra for experiments using DACs. This has wider implications for previous Raman spectra prediction with other methods. Moving to phase II, I analyse single molecule excitations for various structure candidates from the literature. This is motivated by the appearance of low frequency peaks in the experimental data at the phase I-II transition. Previous predictions of Raman spectra for phase II structural candidates have focused on delocalised collective excitations, but previous experiments on deuterium and hydrogen mixtures suggest these peaks are not associated with long range order. I use molecular dynamics trajectories with a classical hydrogen forcefield to generate mean-field potentials. I then incorporate nuclear quantum effects to these potentials by rescaling the temperature. I predict that in the case of hydrogen the ground state exhibits preferred orientation but is only weakly bound. A previously unassigned Raman active peak may be explained by a re-orientation transition from the first excited state. The nature of the modes predicted in this regime is inconsistent with the canonical view of Raman transitions as either vibrons, librons or phonons, rather the excitations correspond to either a re-orientation of the molecule or mixed modes between the rotor and librator regime. Overall, the quantum treatment developed in this thesis reveals the complexity of interpreting Raman spectra for diatomic molecular solids. I demonstrate that the simplified view of rotons and librons is insufficient to describe the solid phases of hydrogen. Furthermore, perturbative approaches fail to predict the existence of low frequency modes in the ordered phases. In some cases these peaks can be assigned to single molecule modes in the heavily hindered rotor regime. Finally I find that details such as the geometry of the experiment and ortho:para ratio of the sample can significantly effect the observed modes in the signal. The method developed here is applicable to any system containing diatomic molecules and could be further adapted to include higher numbers of atoms.

In this thesis, the carbonation of functionally graded concrete is investigated through a combination of experimental and analytical approaches. The properties of functionally graded concrete vary throughout the cross-section to satisfy performance requirements in a resource-efficient manner. In this research, functional grading of concrete elements is achieved by casting discrete layers of concretes possessing different properties. Layers are cast in the fresh state to prevent formation of a cold joint and associated interface weakness. Carbonation is the process of environmental CO2 diffusing into and reacting with concrete, thereby changing its chemical composition. It is a durability concern for concrete structures, since carbonated concrete does not provide adequate corrosion protection to embedded reinforcement. Increased resistance to carbonation has traditionally been achieved by increasing the cement content in concrete elements, which increases embodied carbon. Carbonation presents as a surface phenomenon. As such, the concrete mix adopted at the outside face is of most concern when designing carbonation-durable elements. Given the ability to relate properties to performance, functional grading presents a promising approach to providing carbonation durability with reduced cement content. In such an element, a high-cement carbonation durability layer could be placed in exposed areas, but retaining low-cement concrete as the material in the bulk remainder. This would have theoretically equivalent durability to a single-mix element cast from the high-cement mix, but significantly lower cement content. The presented research seeks to answer the question "Is layered functional grading a viable method of reducing cement contents in concrete elements without sacrificing carbonation durability?''. This is achieved by first understanding the carbonation behaviour of single-mix concrete specimens, thus establishing baseline processes for accelerated carbonation testing and the influence of material parameters on carbonation performance of different concrete mixes. Next, machine learning is applied to predict properties of concretes from mix composition, such as carbonation performance. Following this, the carbonation of layered functionally graded specimens is experimentally investigated, and the results are used to validate a derived model for the carbonation depth in layers. Finally, it is acknowledged that structural cracking could provide a route for CO2 penetration beyond the depth of a carbonation durability layer. Therefore, a further experimental series investigates the cracking behaviour of layered prisms under loading and their carbonation performance when subjected to simultaneous cracking and carbonation. Digital image processing methods are implemented in multiple areas to improve the detection and analysis of carbonation fronts from phenolphthalein indication tests. Overall, the results demonstrate that layered functionally graded concrete elements offer a viable route to cement reduction, without loss of carbonation durability. Therefore, it is recommended that practitioners consider this approach to design durable structures with reduced cement consumption.

Self-harm is increasingly recognised as a global health crisis on the rise in both children and adults. Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) are more likely to self-harm and die by suicide compared to the general population. Early identification of ASC is crucial for mental health outcomes however, pursuing and gaining access to autism assessments can be a lengthy process, particularly with an increase in demand. ASC is a wide spectrum and those on the higher end of the spectrum may never be identified as having ASC. Females especially tend to go undiagnosed or be mis-diagnosed due to camouflaging or experience symptoms of ASC differently. This may suggest that there is a 'lost' population of individuals with high traits of ASC (as measured by the AQ10) but no diagnosis. A mixed methods design was conducted to identify the prevalence of individuals with traits of ASC (without a diagnosis) within a self-harming population and gain a richer understanding of their experiences through reflexive thematic analysis. Results indicated that the self-harming group had a significantly higher mean AQ10 score compared to the general population (M = 1.95, SD = 38.843); t(110) = 14.699, p = < .001). 43.24% in the self-harming group scored above clinical cut-off for ASC. These findings were further explained by the qualitative data, suggesting that self-harming individuals with high traits of ASC had felt different to their peers as children and this had continued into adulthood where they struggled particularly with socialisation - a key characteristic of ASC. It is key that this group is identified to reduce the rate of self-harm, offer them appropriate interventions and an opportunity for better understanding their differences and difficulties themselves, especially as research suggests self-harm as a crucial indicator for suicide.

Hypertension is the leading contributor to cardiovascular disease globally. It is an underrecognized and common clinical problem among young adults (usually defined as younger than 40). Even in the young blood pressure elevation is predictive of long-term cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Despite its frequency, the underlying mechanisms driving hypertension are not fully understood. Previous studies have noted the presence of elevated sympathetic nerve activity among adults with hypertension and this has been shown to play a role in driving and sustaining the hypertensive state. Animal models of disease have suggested that the carotid body, a tiny structure sitting at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery may be responsible for this sympathetic activation, contributing to the hypertensive state. However, human studies have been less clear. This study sought to examine whether young adults with hypertension showed A) evidence of carotid body activation as measured by their ventilatory response to hypoxia at rest and during exercise and/or B) tonic activation of the carotid body evidenced by a reduction in ventilation and BP at rest and exercise with blockade of the carotid chemoreflex using dopamine. 14 hypertensive participants (mean age 27 ± 5 years, 6 female) were recruited to the study alongside 14 age and sex matched normotensive controls. Hypertension was confirmed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Participants underwent an assessment of their peripheral chemoreflex (mediated by the carotid body) using a series of hypoxic stimuli delivered by transient administration of 100% Nitrogen. The ventilatory and haemodynamic response to this was measured. This was performed during a resting state, in the presence of a dopamine and a saline infusion. This was repeated during a low intensity exercise protocol on an upright cycle ergometer. No difference in carotid body activity by these measures was seen between hypertensive and normotensive young adults.

Coccolithophores play an important role in regulating the climate through their influence on the organic and inorganic carbon pumps. Coccolithophores' influence on the ocean carbon pumps depends on their ecology, our understanding of which is currently limited to a few species. My thesis thus aims at improving our knowledge of coccolithophore ecology by investigating the nature and function of the coccolithophore life cycle (haploid versus diploid phases) and quantifying the global standing stocks of the most common coccolithophore species. I used a trait-based framework and a multidisciplinary approach that combines statistical analysis, lab experiments, machine learning and numerical modelling. Using statistical analysis, I quantify the niche occupied by haploid and diploid coccolithophores, showing that the coccolithophore life cycle expands coccolithophore niche by ≈ 18%. Additionally, using lab experiments and numerical modelling, I demonstrate that a trade-off between nutrient storage and maximum growth is a critical bottom-up control of Coccolithus pelagicus life stages' distribution. Finally, using machine learning approaches, I estimate that two genera account for the majority of coccolithophore's global organic carbon standing stock and that mid-to-low latitude regions contribute similarly to high-latitude regions. This thesis provides novel insights into the ecology of the coccolithophore life cycle and the species that dominate coccolithophore biomass, and furthermore lays the groundwork for future coccolithophore research by identifying some of the key coccolithophore species and traits. My thesis also successfully applied novel multidisciplinary approaches leading the way to improve the ecology of marine plankton in general.

This study explores the perception of nursing students using health technology during clinical training and examines the impact of health technology related to the Clinical Learning Environment (CLE). As there is an increasing demand for quality care from patients and the challenges posed by a high turnover rate of nurses, nurses struggle to work and adapt in this changeable setting. This study aims to develop an insight into an understanding of the CLE. It includes the perceptions of nursing students regarding health technology and the impact on their learning as nursing students. It uses a case study methodology, using a survey of the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher Scale (CLES+T) and interviews with nursing students, graduated nurses and academic university mentors. The study utilises the theoretical work of Kolb's learning process, behaviourism and constructionism learning theories, and a facilitation/supervision model. Findings suggest that nursing students lack practice opportunities. Further, additional factors relate to issues of leaderships, ward atmosphere, supervisory relationships, learning opportunities, and nurse teachers interwoven in a health technology integrated setting. Nursing students specifically reflected on their concerns about health technology dependency and how this potentially limits their critical thinking skills. Further still, limitations to access password integrated health technology restricted students' learning, their practice opportunities rely on a good supervisory relationship and a positive ward atmosphere. To some extent, students indicated that the managerial staff could shape the CLE and affect their learning opportunities regarding their supervision and mentoring. This study contributes to the emerging knowledge about the impact of health technology on the learning of nursing students in the clinical setting during training. It provides an understanding of the challenges posed by both health care providers and educational institutions who should coordinate more measures to facilitate students' learning in the health technology integrated CLE. This study helps to address the issues related to health technology in clinical settings and its impact on the practice of nurses including academic staff which, in turn, affect students' learning.

The colonial background and political situation of Hong Kong have resulted in school music education in Hong Kong being placed in a problematic position, which in turn has increased the acceptance of community music (CM) practice. However, as an academic subject, Hong Kong CM practice has largely adopted vocabulary, concepts, and frameworks from Western academia, and a more specific and nuanced cultural understanding of the significance of CM development in Hong Kong is thus necessary. To that end, a case study of five local music practitioners who work both in and beyond school settings was conducted, with data collection methods including interviews, participant observation, field notes, journals, and other documentation. The research draws theoretical support from the perspectives of both Paulo Freire and Gert Biesta and adopts a neoliberal view of education as an 'orthodoxy' and contrast it with CM practice as an emancipatory 'heterodoxy'. Through articulating their practice, the study concludes practitioners' practice is a practice of the 'other' (Lingis, 1994, p.10). It can be characterized as a 'community of those who have nothing in common' (Biesta. 2004). Their practice is situated in a 'dialogic continuum' which facilitates discourse among different groups and parties, which is conducted over a 'dialogic space' which exists over the dialogue among these practitioners over their very differences (Camlin, 2016), and a specific model had been designed to visualise and capture this unique symbiosis of these continua of CM practice. Interestingly, this lack of consensus over the very meaning of CM and defining features of CM practice may appear like a weakness at first, but on deeper reflection it is also a source of its richness and diversity. CM practice demonstrates an ongoing process of conscientization (Freire, 1970) that allows practitioners to resist falling into a uniform stereotype and instead better assert their authentic selves on their individual terms while being part of a greater community with a shared purpose. The unique, singular, and highly situated circumstances of individual CM practices result inevitably in the inability for this thesis to be able to provide a uniform description of CM practice but instead introduces the reader to a highly varied landscape of CM practice development in Hong Kong. However, despite this dissensus which is a feature of CM practice, I propose that the raising of critical consciousness implicated in the development of CM in Hong Kong will help those involved to become more aware of the inherent social and political contradictions and shall further support them to act to bring about desirable changes in the local education system. The study also extends previous scholarly research by highlighting the pluralistic character of CM practice and articulating it within the context of Hong Kong. It illustrates the value of accounting for CM practice with more holistic consideration of the cultural significance of music education, especially in socio-political contexts where orthodoxy is contested. To conclude, CM practice extends the possibilities of 'becoming' in ways that keep the possibilities of autonomy alive. It therefore illuminates the strong synergy between CM practice and the current social and political crisis in Hong Kong. It can also represent epistemological shifts within communities and societies, where the act of musicking itself becomes a way to disrupt orthodox practice and lead to the practice's transformation.

A measurement of the Standard Model Higgs boson decaying to a pair of bottom quarks (H→bb̅) and produced in association with a vector boson, V H, at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV is presented. The measurement is performed on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb⁻¹ that was collected using the ATLAS detector during Run-2 of the Large Hadron Collider. Studies have been conducted to improve the multivariate analysis, which is used to separate the H → bb̅ signal from the background. Uncertainties in the statistical fit used to measure the signal strength are explored. The observed significance of the V H, H → bb̅ signal is 6.7σ. The observed signal significances of the W H and Z H production processes are 4.0σ and 5.3σ, respectively, indicating strong evidence of W H production and the first observation of Z H production. In addition, measurements of the cross-sections of the W H and Z H production processes with H → bb̅ decay as a function of the gauge boson transverse momentum are consistent with Standard Model predictions. Studies involving enhancements to tracking and b-jet identification, which are key components of the H → bb̅ analysis, are also presented. These enhancements include investigating different track reconstruction improvements, enhancing the machine learning algorithms used to identify the different jet flavours, and exploring various automation techniques in the calibration of the b-jet identification efficiency.

Some commentators refer to blockchain as a potential General Purpose Technology. Yet despite a plethora of cryptoassets and projects, it has struggled to gain traction beyond payments and price discovery. This thesis explores how the technology is being applied to better understand the potential and risks of deploying blockchain. It examines four different use cases with econometric and case study methods: (1) Bitcoin mining as the token incentivized processing of records, (2) Initial Coin Offering tokens as a form of venture financing, (3) Uniswap the decentralized exchange and (4) Kompany improving the data integrity of compliance records via notarization to a public blockchain. It finds that blockchain enables capabilities that did not exist before, but that these capabilities are bounded by trade offs and developer priorities. Ultimately this research expands the literature on blockchain applications and argues that blockchain does not build better systems, but different systems that can achieve different objectives. It provides evidence that firms and society are gradually traversing the hype cycle, deploying blockchain, solving real world economic problems and creating value.

The coexistence of different electronic orders in condensed matter systems is an actively explored area of experimental and theoretical research. This is both to advance understanding and, since different phases, like superconductivity or magnetism, can be utilised on the microscopic and macroscopic scale, for device applications. Exploration of the complex phase diagrams which emerge in many actinide materials requires careful synthesis of samples, as the microstructure and lattice defects of samples can affect thermodynamic and transport properties. Characterisation with microstructure probes and crystallographic diffraction is important for an informed interpretation of the resulting material properties. This thesis investigates the synthesis and characterisation of two uranium binary compounds, U2Ti and UTe2, with coexisting electronic correlations, paying particular attention to the effect of synthesis conditions on the microstructure, inclusion of other phases, and lattice disorder. A computational study of U2Ti predicted it to undergo a transition to charge density wave (CDW) order on the basis of density functional theory calculations of the phonon spectrum. A previously reported experimental investigation of the material identified it as a bulk superconductor (SC) at 0.38 K, but did not identify a CDW transition. Coexistence of SC and CDW order is especially interesting as both compete for states at the Fermi level and gap the Fermi surface, with the former leading to a zero resistance state and the latter giving rise to an insulating state (or decrease in conductivity) in many systems. The motivation for studying U2Ti was thus to investigate the predicted CDW order and the possible coexistence with superconductivity. Synthesis of U2Ti single crystals is challenging due to a disordered to ordered solid transition. Therefore, we explored the synthesis conditions and their impact on the properties of samples produced. Through a combination of thermodynamic, electrical transport and xray diffraction (XRD) measurements (conducted at the ESRF, Grenoble, France) we confirm the emergence of incommensurate CDW order at 71K followed by a commensuratation transition at 46 K. The measurements also suggest that at ambient pressure, U2Ti is not a bulk SC and previous identification of SC order in the system was due to inclusions. Energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis is used to identify the inclusion of an α-U phase and, in combination with XRD measurements, we are able to identify the alignment of this inclusion with the bulk U2Ti lattice. UTe2 is an unconventional SC actively being studied to determine its order parameter and pairing mechanism. Due to the persistence of SC order in magnetic fields exceeding 40 T, the material is considered a candidate for spin triplet pairing, mediated by ferromagnetic fluctuations evidenced by the divergence of the dc magnetic susceptibility at low temperature. However, under pressures exceeding 1.7GPa antiferromagnetic order emerges upon the destruction of SC order. In order to make conclusive statements about the SC order pure samples of UTe2 are required, and the variation of thermodynamic and transport properties reported in the literature needed to be related to the growth conditions of samples. Therefore, the investigation presented in this thesis focused on departing from the standard growth conditions used widely in other studies to investigate the impact on sample properties. It is shown that varying the stoichiometry of the reactants in the chemical vapour transport growth of the compound can produce samples of higher superconducting transition temperature and lower residual heat capacity. This also impacts the magnetic susceptibility below 15K suggesting some impact on magnetic fluctuations. From magnetic susceptibility measurements on samples from different syntheses we are able to identify ferromagnetic impurities while, EDX measurements suggest how these impurities are distributed. We discuss the difficulty in identifying the differences in microstructural and crystallographic properties of samples with different SC transition temperatures, which remains an outstanding issue in the literature. The investigation of U2Ti has identified a new uranium based CDW compound and revealed that SC order previously identified is likely associated with inclusions and/or filamentary SC. The results motivate the further synthesis of bulk single crystal samples to explore the phase diagram of this material. The work on UTe2 has moved forward the understanding of the synthesis conditions on the superconducting and magnetic properties, as well as identifying inclusions. The results suggested that an early explanation of the superconducting order of UTe2 which involved pairing of only one spin channel of electrons, with a remaining unpaired electron liquid contributing to a residual Sommerfeld coefficient of heat capacity, is unlikely. The precise form of disorder in UTe2 that drives variations in the superconducting and magnetic properties remains an outstanding issue. Though it is determined, by XRD, that non-SC samples are compositionally distinct from SC samples due to the presence of uranium vacancies in the crystal structure. More broadly, the combination of these investigations contributes to the exploration of the coexistence of superconductivity and other electronic correlations (and order) in uranium containing compounds and motivates new areas of exploration.

Across temperate environments, climate warming is leading to a general advancement of spring phenology in a wide range of ecologically and taxonomically diverse species. For taxa that depend on interactions with other species-predators and prey, pollinators, parasites and hosts-widespread phenological changes may cause severe problems. Divergent phenological responses to spring temperature changes among taxa could result in these crucial biotic interactions becoming mistimed. This may cause significant negative fitness effects that could ripple through a population, across trophic levels, and perhaps entire ecosystems. This concept, formalised as the match-mismatch hypothesis (MMH) has become the subject of intense speculation and debate in recent decades. Much of our understanding of the occurrence and significance of 'phenological mismatch' (negative fitness consequences brought about by mistiming between interacting species) due to climate change comes from the trophic interactions in the classic temperate woodland tree/caterpillar/bird food-chain. This work, however, suffers from many limitations. Spring-feeding caterpillars, forming the central link in this food-chain, are particularly important in that fluctuations in their populations can affect both higher and lower trophic levels. In the tree/caterpillar link, previous literature focuses largely on a single host and caterpillar species pairing: oak (Quercus robur) and the winter moth (Operophtera brumata). It has been argued that these caterpillars could respond more strongly than their host-plants to climate warming in terms of shifting their phenology, and that even slight mistiming between the two trophic levels has significant negative fitness effects for them. Caterpillars that hatch before bud-burst on their host tree will likely starve, and those that hatch too late are forced to feed on less palatable mature foliage. This rather narrow view, however, overlooks the fact that these caterpillars may be resilient to mistiming in many instances, and that the oak/winter moth trophic interaction may not necessarily be representative of the many other caterpillar species, or alternative host-plant species. In this thesis, I attempt to expand our knowledge and understanding of the operation of the MMH in this system by specifically addressing some of these key caveats. First, in Chapter 2, in order to address the role of different plant species in the diet of the winter moth and the relative importance of oak as a host-plant species, I consider the effects of host-plant species on survival, growth, and development of the caterpillars, across four British populations. I find that winter moth caterpillar fitness varies substantially across host-plant species, but that there are also strong population-specific responses consistent with genetic divergence. In contrast to the assumptions typically made in the literature that oak is the "primary", "principal", or most significant host-plant species in the field, I find that caterpillar performance on this species is consistently poor relative to other abundant and widespread host-plant species. Reconciling this apparent inconsistency represents an obvious avenue for future research. A taxonomically broad diet may serve to buffer winter moth caterpillars against the effects of mismatch on any one host-plant species-phenology varies across hosts and, averaged across a population, this might ensure there are always some food resources available for individuals to exploit. Next, in Chapters 3 and 4, to determine whether the impacts of mismatch generalise across caterpillar and host-plant species, I directly test the effects of mistiming across a range of British spring-feeding caterpillar species, including the winter moth. In Chapter 3, I consider the effects of late-hatching asynchrony on performance (and fitness in the winter moth) of up to 65 days. I find that the effects of asynchrony on performance are contingent on the particular caterpillar/host-plant species pairing in question. Depending on the host-plant species, some caterpillar species show little to no decline in performance across a period of several months (e.g. vapourer Orgyia antiqua on birch Betula pendula or sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus), while others show precipitous declines in a matter of days (e.g. fitness in winter moth on sycamore or sallow Salix caprea). This highlights the danger of extrapolating from a single caterpillar/host-plant species pairing. Indeed, in both cases, the winter moth and oak appear to be exceptional-performance of the former typically showing a steeper than average decline with increasing asynchrony, and the latter being a generally poor host for most spring-feeding caterpillar species, on which performance declines at a greater rate than other host-plants with asynchrony. Overall, I find that, in contrast to the prevailing view in the literature, synchrony is important for caterpillar fitness, but within fairly broad bounds (at a scale of weeks and months, rather than days), though this varies across hosts and species. In Chapter 4, I consider asynchrony in the opposite direction, and investigate the ability of spring-feeding caterpillars to cope with hatching too early, before bud-burst on their natal tree. Early hatching caterpillars can simply tolerate a lack of food and wait until it becomes available, or they may be able to exploit the unopened buds of their host-plants as a food source in the intervening period. I found that across five spring-feeding caterpillar species, there is often a considerable ability to tolerate starvation, ranging from several days in the winter moth and mottled umber Erannis defoliaria, to over thirty in the black arches Lymantria monacha. Increased temperatures, however, significantly reduced the time which caterpillars could survive without food, often by a substantial margin (e.g. by twenty days in the black arches moth at temperatures of 21°C versus 5°C). In the winter moth, I show experimentally for the first time that caterpillars are indeed able to feed on the unopened and opening buds of a range of their host-plant species. However, the likelihood of establishment on buds is initially low and increases steeply as buds mature and softer tissue becomes more exposed. Nonetheless, this clearly demonstrates that many spring-feeding caterpillar species have at least some ability to tolerate early hatching on their host tree. In Chapter 5, I consider in more detail the widely-held assumption that foliage becomes unsuitable for caterpillar consumption very soon after bud-burst. In contrast to Chapter 3, I reared caterpillars on frozen foliage collected from a sample of trees across a two week period after bud-burst, to determine the effects of any changes in their structure and secondary chemistry across this period on palatability. Specifically, I focussed here on the effects of caterpillar asynchrony on growth rate and rate of survival across time, both of which have distinct fitness implications versus overall mass attained or survival probability (cf. Chapter 3). I find no consistent effects of leaf age on rates of mortality across time, suggesting that leaf maturation occurring within the first two weeks after bud-burst generally has little effect on caterpillar performance. There are, however, significant effects of host-plant species and age on growth rates-on older oak foliage, growth rates are higher, the implications of which are unclear. Additionally, I find that there is substantial variation in caterpillar performance between individual trees and broods. Taken together, these findings may indicate that phenological variation between individual trees could serve to ameliorate mismatch, buffering against it at the population level. Finally, in Chapter 6, I discuss the concept of 'buffering' in detail-a phrase widely used but little considered. I argue that buffering is related to concepts of stability in living systems, and that it represents the means by which stability is maintained, via a range of 'buffering mechanisms'. I define buffering as "the amelioration of any fitness effects resulting from an environmental change". I explore the concept specifically within the spring-feeding caterpillar system, and argue that the very unpredictability and uncertainty that is an inherent part of their niche has driven the evolution of many of the buffering mechanisms by which that variation can be tolerated.

For centuries research has focused on the outcomes of events with the notion that all decisions are executed by rational beings. On the contrary, many of the world's most pivotal decisions are not executed by Homo Economicus but rather that of Homo Imperfectus. Therefore, it becomes prudent to explore the cognitive biases and irrationalities that exist and to identify the impact they have on decision making. As such, this thesis is made up of three empirical chapters which attempt to bridge the gap between psychology and finance in relation to mergers and acquisitions. Current literature puts significant emphasis on the influence of overconfidence on the success of mergers and acquisitions whilst giving little attention to the contrary. Therefore, the first empirical chapter aims to explore the transfer mechanism between failure-induced cognitive dissonance and long-term shareholder value. Individuals attribute failure to their capabilities as opposed to external factors therefore - to reduce dissonance - they become more cautious in their decision making, innovate more, and are more receptive to potential risks than their counterparts; namely, overconfident individuals. As a result, cognitively dissonance individuals are shown to increase long-term shareholder value. An additional aperture within literature is the emphasis of market perception of ESG scores and its impact upon long-term shareholder returns. Therefore, the second empirical chapter explores the impact of ESG scores on market valuation and how this impacts initial market response to M&A, company operations, and long-term shareholder wealth. The results suggest that acquirers with high ESG scores are overvalued and become more overvalued post-M&A despite no material difference in profitability thus destroying long-term shareholder wealth. This shows that companies have become so concerned with the stakeholder than they opt for virtue signalling at the expense of the shareholder. The final empirical chapter is focused on the recent global COVID-19 pandemic and financial constraint. The findings of this chapter show that market participants do not consider financial constraint as a limiting factor during standard macroeconomic climates. However, when uncertainty increases, markets scrutinise financially constrained deals more thus dampening M&A announcement returns despite having no material impact to shareholder wealth in the medium term. Ultimately, this highlights that an exogenous event alone does not drive investor sentiment but rather increases market perception of uncertainty thus increases risk aversion driving markets to doubt acquirer ability to extract value from M&A. The findings of this thesis have practical relevance for corporate executives, consultants, organisational psychologists, the corporate industry, and academia. Overall, this thesis provides valuable evidence to support the decision-making fallibility of Homo Economicus and seeks to highlight the cognitive biases of corporate decision makers. More importantly, the findings herein provide suitable evidence that corporate executives can arm themselves with to guard against such biases to preserve their reputation, increase chances of M&A success, and maximise shareholder wealth.

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that combines the virtual objects with the real world. One of the fields where AR technology is used is education and the use of AR technology in education is becoming more common day by day. Although many studies related to AR technology have focused on the motivation of students, academic achievement of students, teaching or learning abstract concept in education, there are very few studies on the use of AR technology to support collaboration in education. Thus, this study investigates what happens when AR technology is used for collaboration in science education. A single embedded case study design was employed to understand in depth what happens when AR technology is utilized to support collaboration among students. This study was conducted in one primary school in the United Kingdom (UK). The Year 5 teacher in this school and ten students in this teacher's class were the participants of this study. During the data collection process, the Year 5 students at this school worked together in groups of three or four on the science activities given to them with the AR application called Galactic Explorer for Merge Cube. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews with the teacher, focus group interviews with the students, and video observations of lessons. The analysis showed that the students mostly used the Exploratory Talk, which was an indicator of collaboration, when working with the AR app as a group. When the students' talk was examined in order to understand the nature of the collaboration among the students, it was revealed that the students' talk had functions in terms of collaboration, the AR app and task. In addition, since there are few studies on the use of AR app in education to support collaboration process, the role of AR app in the collaboration process has been examined and it has been revealed that AR app has four different roles in this process. These were visualisation, embodiment, helping discover information, and enhancing understanding. Also, since the teacher included the AR app in the classroom environment, the teacher's experience in using the AR application to support collaboration and the teacher's role in this process were examined. As a result of the analysis, how the teacher integrates the AR application into the lessons to support collaboration, the teacher's feelings about the use of the AR application to support collaboration, and the advantages and disadvantages faced in this process were presented. The role of the teacher in this process was examined in terms of the pedagogical links the teacher made in lessons and it was revealed that the teacher made links to support knowledge building, to promote continuity, and to encourage emotional engagement. The findings of this thesis contribute to a better understanding of how AR technology can be incorporated into science lessons in order to support collaboration and interaction among students. This study also makes an original contribution to the methodology by showing how the FACCT framework can be adapted for various technological tools used in the collaboration process. The implications of this thesis can inform primary teachers on how to use AR technology in science lessons to support collaboration and interaction among students, and developers on how to develop better educational AR apps especially for encouraging collaboration and interaction.

Macrophages dynamically polarise into specialised phenotypes to perform an array of functions as part of the innate immune response. Bone-marrow macrophages interact with erythroblasts (red blood cell precursors) through a complex array of cell-cell interactions forming erythroblastic islands (EBIs). EBIs allow erythropoiesis to occur at an efficiency and scale that cannot be recapitulated in vitro. Understanding macrophage polarisation and manipulating their phenotypes provides an essential tool; to modulate macrophages within inflammatory disease, to determine their role in processes such as erythropoiesis, and for their exploitation as cellular therapeutics. This thesis uses in-depth comparative proteomics, alongside flow cytometry analyses and functional assays to compare macrophage subtypes (MØ, M1, M2a, M2c) generated from CD14⁺ monocytes. Interestingly, >50 % of subtype proteomes differ from each other and have specific functional characteristics illustrating the potential of this system for exploring polarisation dynamics. Treatment of interferon stimulated M1 pro-inflammatory macrophages with dexamethasone induced a partial repolarisation towards an M2c state highlighting the retention of plasticity within this in vitro model. Further, investigations into the re-polarisation of macrophages highlighted the rapid alteration of cell phenotype through targeting of the pro-inflammatory microRNA miR223, which holds potential in cancer therapeutics. A genetically tractable in vitro EBI model was established to explore the mechanisms by which macrophages support erythropoiesis. In combination with a high-throughput quantitative image analysis pipeline, this model determined the contribution of αV and β2 integrins, identified through surface proteomics, to EBIs in humans for the first time and identified a novel role for the P2X₄ mechanoreceptor in macrophage motility. The work presented here provides a comprehensive characterisation of human cultured macrophages, highlighting how subtypes facilitate differing functions and the potential for modulating their phenotype. The development of a model system for identification of proteins crucial for EBI formation provides a potential tool for optimising erythroblast culture methodology. Ultimately assisting in the development of protocols to recapitulate the efficiency and scale of human erythropoiesis.

The exponential growth of the internet mandates the development of energy-efficient "green" photonics technologies. Currently, tele- and data-com laser technology is centred on quantum well (QW) lasers grown on InP. Despite their widespread deployment, and the improvements in efficiency enabled by QW band structure engineering, strong non-radiative losses, and inter-valence band absorption (IVBA) in InP-based 1.3-1.55 µm QW lasers remains a persistent issue. At room temperature, up to 80% of the threshold current density is due to Auger recombination (AR). The strong temperature sensitivity of AR creates a threshold current density with strong temperature dependence. These properties mandate temperature control via thermoelectric coolers to maintain operational stability, thereby increasing power consumption. There is a long-standing goal to develop 1.3-1.55 µm semiconductor lasers in which AR and IVBA are suppressed, creating energy-efficient, temperature-stable lasers. Significant research has centred on extending the wavelength range accessible to GaAs-based lasers towards the 1.3-1.55 µm tele- and data-com windows. GaAs-based QW lasers incorporating strained InyGa1−yAs QWs are already well established at wavelengths close to 1 µm. Extending the wavelength range associated with GaAs-based lasers to 1.55 µm offers significant advantages over incumbent InP-based technologies, including enhanced band offsets and refractive index contrast for improved carrier and optical confinement, the potential to exploit the benefits associated with vertical-cavity architectures, and potential integration with GaAs-based microelectronics. Critical thickness limitations preclude the growth of strained InyGa1−yAs QWs and thus unconventional material systems must be considered to target long-wavelength GaAs-based QW lasers. These unconventional material systems include QWs formed using highly-mismatched dilute nitride or bismide alloys with type-I band offsets, metamorphic QWs based on lattice-mismatched AlxInyGa1−x−yAs QWs with type-I band offsets grown on relaxed InzGa1−zAs buffer layers, and "W" QWs with type-II band offsets and based on conventional InyGa1−yAs/GaAs1−xSbx or highly-mismatched GaAs1−xBix/GaNyAs1−y alloys.

Behavioural restriction is a key welfare challenge for the billions of broilers produced globally every year. Current measures of broiler welfare focus on biological functioning and negative health outcomes. There is a need for measures of positive behavioural outcomes to better understand and manage the welfare of commercial broilers. This thesis reviews previously applied behavioural assessments for broilers and investigates the application of two positive behavioural outcome measures in detail: Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) and positive behaviour counts. I describe the first application of QBA by broiler producers and further explore whether applying QBA affects producers' attitudes to animal welfare, approach to behavioural observation, and ability to recognise positive behaviours. Broiler producers achieved good agreement in their judgement of behavioural expression from videos. Questionnaire results indicated there was no effect of applying QBA on attitudes towards animal welfare, nor how these producers approached behavioural observation. When exploring QBA as a novel training tool to accompany a video promoting positive behaviours, QBA was found to distract from the types of behaviours being performed, contrary to the video's training aims, but may have helped producers describe broiler behaviour. Producers consistently positively evaluated QBA in all investigations. Finally, in a commercial scale trial, QBA and positive behavioural counts were found to provide useful additional information, supplementing the current suite of welfare outcomes when differentiating between the welfare of birds reared in four different production systems. QBA provides a holistic assessment of the behavioural expression of commercial broilers while positive behavioural counts provide a tangible description of the behaviours being performed. The monitoring and reporting of positive behavioural measures creates an opportunity to shift the focus and emphasis of producers, and the wider chicken supply chain, away from provision of basic biological functioning and towards a 'good life'. Behavioural restriction is a key welfare challenge for the billions of broilers produced globally every year. Current measures of broiler welfare focus on biological functioning and negative health outcomes. There is a need for measures of positive behavioural outcomes to better understand and manage the welfare of commercial broilers. This thesis reviews previously applied behavioural assessments for broilers and investigates the application of two positive behavioural outcome measures in detail: Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) and positive behaviour counts. I describe the first application of QBA by broiler producers and further explore whether applying QBA affects producers' attitudes to animal welfare, approach to behavioural observation, and ability to recognise positive behaviours. Broiler producers achieved good agreement in their judgement of behavioural expression from videos. Questionnaire results indicated there was no effect of applying QBA on attitudes towards animal welfare, nor how these producers approached behavioural observation. When exploring QBA as a novel training tool to accompany a video promoting positive behaviours, QBA was found to distract from the types of behaviours being performed, contrary to the video's training aims, but may have helped producers describe broiler behaviour. Producers consistently positively evaluated QBA in all investigations. Finally, in a commercial scale trial, QBA and positive behavioural counts were found to provide useful additional information, supplementing the current suite of welfare outcomes when differentiating between the welfare of birds reared in four different production systems. QBA provides a holistic assessment of the behavioural expression of commercial broilers while positive behavioural counts provide a tangible description of the behaviours being performed. The monitoring and reporting of positive behavioural measures creates an opportunity to shift the focus and emphasis of producers, and the wider chicken supply chain, away from provision of basic biological functioning and towards a 'good life'.

This research study set out to examine the embodied experiences of critical moments of change from the perspectives of psychotherapists and clients. The main aim of the research was to investigate how the psychotherapist- participants brought embodied attentional attunement to their clients with the intention to facilitate change sought by clients. The research was undertaken with nine psychotherapist-participants and four client-participants. The nine psychotherapist-participants were regular mindfulness practitioners and the four client-participants were in therapy with body-oriented/mindfulness and analytical psychotherapists. Braun and Clarke's Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the dataset. A phenomenological reflexivity or bracketing was also adopted in the data analysis. The psychotherapist's embodied stance became a focus on how therapeutic processes were sensed and identified experientially. These processes included experiences of shifts or change, attunement and co-created intersubjective states. The five main themes generated were; 'The body is a barometer', 'Mindfulness is not psychotherapy, it is a return the body', 'What's mine and what's yours?', 'Change is an active being-with', and 'Embodiment is the co-experience of sameness and alterity.' These five themes were further organised under two overarching themes, 'The moving body' and 'Talking therapy is intersubjective' to encapsulate the concepts found in the data analysis. In conclusion, critical moments of change or shifts are identified as the recognition of otherness or alterity in embodied intersubjective experiences. These can happen in a 'gap', an 'insertion point' or an 'interruption' within a therapeutic exchange. This is also an ethical framework for psychotherapy in recognising the body's response to experiencing empathy and attunement. This has also been supported by findings in brain studies in an intersubjective context. Given the current prevalence of online therapy, future research recommendations include investigating the body's response to the co-created intersubjective in a virtual environment.