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This thesis attempts to analyse the life of Bronowski through his work and his discussions of his personal values, so the reader will gain an understanding of the creative imagination in science and art, as basic to human specificity. Jacob Bronowski was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1908, the eldest of three sons of Abram Bronowski and Celia Flatto. During WWI, Russia invaded Poland, the family moved to Germany, and in 1920, Abram who had a linen export business with England moved the family to England. Jacob, who spoke no English, went to the Central Foundation School in London, and on to Cambridge University, where he was a student of Jesus College, graduating with a PhD in Mathematics in 1933. Being in England gave Bronowski a light experience after the dark of Poland. England's civilized minds excited him and he was fascinated with the English language, which he described as boney, meaning the language, and the words, could be understood by topological (geometrical) structure. While at Cambridge, in companionship with another mathematician, William Empson, they edited a literary journal Experiment. This gives a lead to the creative mind which characterises the human species, a feature which Bronowski develops during the course of this thesis. During a daylight air raid on London in 1941, Bronowski married Rita Colin (Coblitz) sculptor, and they subsequently had four daughters, Lisa, Judith, Beth and Clare. In English schools, it was usual practice for boys to refer to each other by their surnames, and Bronowski, as a school boy and throughout the remainder of his life was known as Bruno, the Polish diminutive of Bronowski. When he was at Cambridge, Rita realised, that as a Jew, her husband was not going to be accepted as a Fellow of Jesus College, so he left Cambridge and over the years1945-1964 , when he worked for the Government in England, he developed a reputation as a lecturer, broadcaster, public educator, literary critic, mathematician and extensive writer. I

The largest contributor to public radiation dose (and hence cancer risk) is radon gas. There was thus a need for a study in Western Australia to determine base-line data for radon-in-homes concentrations and "map" the distribution for the State. Such a map can indicate the location of high radon concentrations. Remedial action can then be applied, where deemed necessary, to reduce the concentrations and hence the dose to the occupants in the identified areas. The study was undertaken by conducting a Western Australia-wide survey of radon concentrations (and gamma radiation levels) measured over a one-year period for homes in Western Australia on a population-weighted basis. From this data, the map was produced showing both the radon and gamma distribution data. One purpose for also collecting gamma information was to determine whether or not gamma radiation levels might be a useful indicator of higher radon concentrations. As there is sometimes confusion in publications on whether it is radon or radon progeny (Equivalent Equilibrium Concentration) that is being measured, this was clarified at the outset. A historical perspective of radiation dose was first discussed and this was used as a basis to deal with the concepts of radon and radon progeny and the method of converting these to a likely radiation dose based on intake when breathing. The radon map produced from the study was used to select areas of higher radon concentration for further study, including measurement of tl10ron concentrations. A dwelling in the identified "high radon" area was selected for an individual study of daily radon progeny concentration patterns within the home, the likely radon generating sources (soils and building materials) and the exhalation of radon gas from the soils into the atmosphere. Other specific radon-generating sources were also measured. Of particular note was the potential contribution of radon released from ground water at water treatment plants. In such plants radon co

Silicon is used extensively for making semiconductor devices such as solar cells. Many of its useful properties depend on its structure and bonding, which determine the density of states (DOS) in the valence band. This work has used lineshape analysis of spectra from valence band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger L1-L2,3V and L2,3-VV lines to study differences in the DOS of silicon in various forms and after various treatments. These included • crystalline silicon (c-Si) • argon-, neon- and xenon-ion bombarded c-Si to produce amorphous silicon (a-Si) • as deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) produced by plasma • enhanced CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) • hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) after heating. The spectra were numerically treated to remove instrument and XPS lineshape broadening, Coster-Kronig effects and backgrounds. They were then normalised and decoupled into their component ss-like, sp-like and pp-like peaks. The sensitivity of lineshape analysis to the degree of disordering was determined by comparing the decoupled spectra of c-Si bombarded with argon ions of different energies. The bombarded spectra showed how the disorder decreased as the ion energy increased due to the increasing depth of the implanted ions and hence concentration of defects. Analysis of the XPS valence band (VB) spectra of argon-, neon- and xenon-ion bombarded c-Si showed that these noble gases have core level peaks close to, or coinciding with, the valence band of the silicon. Argon and xenon have significant core peaks that overlap the valence band and distort it. Neon’s core peak lies just below the valence band and can be compensated for. Hence, it was possible, using neon ion bombardment, to produce an XPS VB spectrum of a-Si, which was compared to those of c-Si and a-Si:H. There were significant lineshape differences between the three, showing that differences in structure are visible and the presence of hydrogen can be indirectly detected t

The interaction between DNA polymerases and sliding clamp proteins confers processivity in DNA synthesis. This interaction is critical for most DNA replication machines from viruses and prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes. The clamp proteins also participate in a variety of dynamic and competing protein-protein interactions. However, clamp-protein binding sequences have not so far been identified in the eubacteria. Here we show from three lines of evidence, bioinformatics, yeast two-hybrid analysis, and inhibition of protein-protein interaction by modified peptides, that variants of a pentapeptide motif (consensus QL[SD]LF) are sufficient to enable interaction of a number of proteins with an archetypal eubacterial sliding clamp (the beta subunit of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme). Representatives of this motif are present in most sequenced members of the eubacterial DnaE, PolC, PolB, DinB, and UmuC families of DNA polymerases and the MutS1 mismatch repair protein family. The component tripeptide DLF inhibits the binding of the a (DnaE) subunit of E. coli DNA polymerase III to beta at muM concentration, identifying key residues. Comparison of the eubacterial, eukaryotic, and archaeal sliding clamp binding motifs suggests that the basic interactions have been conserved across the evolutionary landscape.

Following the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s and the war years of the early forties the Perth Observatory was left in a rather dilapidated state. Its principal activities during this period were the time service and seismology and the former was a valuable contribution to the war effort. However due to economic constraints the Observatory staff had been reduced to two and this was barely sufficient to maintain these essential services. With the retirement of the second Government Astronomer for Western Australia, H.B. Curlewis, in 1940 a young surveyor Hyman Solomon Spigl, was appointed as his replacement. He faced a daunting task of reviving the fortunes of the Perth Observatory in a difficult economic climate. However, he applied himself to the task and soon succeeded in having the Perth Astrographic Catalogues printed in Europe. This was a huge task involving the analysis of hundreds of photographic plates collected over 40 years of careful study. These plates were analysed at the Royal Edinburgh Observatory as a result of Spigl’s persistence and dedication. The Perth Astrographic Catalogues are now universally recognised as a valuable contribution to astronomy and their publication kept faith with a commitment made by the first Government Astronomer, Ernest Cooke in 1896. Spigl also succeeded in maintaining and modernising the time service and this was an essential requirement for a modem industrial society. He fought tenaciously to retain the seismology service but the Commonwealth Government eventually took over control of this from the State, partly for defence purposes. Subsequently he tried to develop some scientific work in seismology at the Observatory but this was stifled by politics and a shortage of funds. As the economic climate improved in the fifties, Spigl directed his efforts towards developing new projects for the Perth Observatory. He negotiated with American astronomers to install a Markowitz Moon Camera on the 13” astrographic refr