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Simplistically, words are the mental bundling of a form and a referent. However, words also dynamically interact with one another in the cognitive system, and have other so-called 'lexical properties'. For example, the word 'dog' will cue recognition of 'dock' by shared phonology, and 'cat', by shared semantics. Researchers have suggested that such lexical engagement between words emerges slowly, and with sleep. However, newer research suggests that this is not the case. Herein, seven experiments investigate this claim. Fast mapping (FM), a developmental word learning procedure, has been reported to promote lexical engagement before sleep in adults. Experiment 1 altered the task parameters and failed to replicate this finding. Experiment 2 attempted a methodological replication - again, no effect was found. It is concluded that the effect reported is not easily replicable. Other findings of pre-sleep lexical engagement were then considered using a novel methodology - computer mouse tracking. Experiments 3 and 4 developed optimal mouse tracking procedures and protocols for studying lexical engagement. Experiment 5 then applied this methodology to novel word learning, and found clear evidence of immediate lexical engagement. Experiment 6 provided evidence that participants were binding the word form to the referent in these pre-sleep lexical representations. Experiment 7 sought to strengthen this finding, but has been postponed due to the CoViD-19 pandemic. The results are discussed in the context of the distributed cohort model of speech perception, a complementary learning systems account of word learning, and differing abstractionist and episodic accounts of the lexicon. It is concluded that the results may be most clearly explained by an episodic lexicon, although there is a need to develop hybrid models, factoring in consolidation and abstraction for the efficient storage of representations in the long term.

Pollination is an ecosystem service critical to both crop production and the functioning of many ecosystems. Hoverflies (Syrphidae) are a key group of non-hymenopteran pollinators. Using a combination of field and molecular techniques, this thesis explored hoverfly communities in grasslands, investigating how they are structured, and their possible role in pollination. In addition, it also created a library of hoverfly DNA barcodes that has applications for monitoring. Hoverfly abundance and species richness was not related to grassland plant community, but was influenced by flower abundance. Distinctive hoverfly communities were also associated with agriculturally unimproved grassland communities. Focussing on species-rich marshy grasslands, a four year study showed that hoverfly abundance and species richness was influenced by weather conditions. Hoverfly abundance was at a maximum at a daily mean temperature of 15°C and at moderate rainfall, declining with both high and low temperature and rainfall. Species-richness declined with increasing daily temperature. Sequences of the standard animal barcode COI were obtained from 82 hoverfly species caught in Britain. This was added to world-wide publicly available sequences for British species to create a library of over 70% of the British hoverfly fauna. These barcodes were effective at distinguishing hoverfly species, although discrimination was poor in a small number of genera. By DNA metabarcoding pollen derived from hoverflies, the structure of hoverfly pollen transport networks in marshy grasslands was investigated. In Eristalis species, networks were generalised at the whole network and species level, but showed some specialisation by individual hoverflies. Networks of 11 hoverfly species showed that although pollen carried by hoverflies came from a few common plant taxa, different hoverfly species carried distinctive pollen loads derived from at least 40% of the entomophilous plants present. Collectively, these results increase our understanding of hoverfly community function, and their role in grassland ecosystems.

This work will reflect the clinical practice and experience of the current author. The work is structured around this and a further three sections: empirical research into pain related disability and pain self efficacy; professional practice describing my role on the Active Back Programme and a critical review of the literature on Goal Attainment Scaling. I am a chartered health psychologist working in a specialist National Health Service orthopaedic hospital. This work will draw on my experience over the past seven years. My duties include delivering individual and group cognitive behavioural therapy sessions, service evaluation and development. I provide clinical leadership and expertise within chronic pain rehabilitation for two in-patient programmes. This work will draw on both programmes: the empirical research will use data from the Pain Management Programme, and the professional practice will describe how I developed and deliver my contribution on the Active Back programme. Goal Attainment Scaling is used as an outcome and evaluation tool on the Pain Management Programme. Section D is a critical review of the Goal Attainments caling literature.

The use of arrays of seismometers for seismic refraction measurements of crustal structure using explosions is reviewed, and the general factors to be considered in the design of equipment for the acquisition and processing of such data are discussed. The design and construction of a particular system using digital magnetic tape recording are described in detail. The three main modes of operation are the recording of ten channels of seismic information in the field, the replay in the laboratory of these ten channels to a multi-channel galvanometer oscillograph, and the transfer of the digital information to punched paper tape for input to a general purpose digital computer. The programmes that have been developed for handling this data on an Elliott 803 computer are described. The system was used during a crustal experiment using depth charges in September, 1%$. The performance during this test is evaluated. II - Stress systems in an inhomogeneous crust. The plane strain stress in an elastic half-space in which there are discrete variations in density over rectangular areas of the cross section is calculated by the double integration of .the result for a point force acting within an homogeneous elastic half-space. The resulting stress system is shown to be a valid solution of the equations of elasticity, and analytical results are derived for several special cases. The application of the theory of elasticity to crustal processes is reviewed, and numerical results are used to discuss the stress systems associated with isostatic compensation and with a crust of varying density.