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The current study examined hindering factors of 2-year community college students' vertical transfer to 4-year colleges. Rational choice theory guided the study and provided the scope of the problem, which is community college students' apprehension about vertically transferring to 4-year colleges. A quantitative Likert-scale survey, which comprised demographic questions and measures of variable scales, was the data-gathering instrument. The measures of study variables were the College Persistence Questionnaire, Student Financial Wellness Survey, Academic Motivation Scale, and self-authored questions. The first three research questions sought to explore whether apprehension to vertically transfer (RQ1), financial stress (RQ2), and commitment to a 4-year college degree (RQ3) differed by participants' gender, race/ethnicity, and parental education. The fourth, fifth, and sixth research questions sought to examine the direct influence of fear/amotivation, debt/loan aversion, and extrinsic motivation on (RQ4) participants' apprehension to transfer to a 4-year college (RQ5), financial stress, and (RQ6) commitment to complete a 4-year college degree. The findings show that the outcomes by race/ethnicity were statistically significant, suggesting that, on average, apprehension to transfer vertically, financial stress, and commitment to a 4-year college degree differed by race/ethnicity. The findings also suggest that, on average, apprehension to vertically transfer, financial stress, and commitment to a 4-year college degree did not differ by participant gender. Similar differences were shown in the study outcomes by parental education. On average, parental education differed regarding concerns about vertical transfer, financial stress, and commitment to a 4-year college degree. Implications for practice include fostering improved conveyance of information, particularly to parents of Hispanic students, to better promote college education as a key determinant in less financial stress and its positive effect on income. Implications for policy include policymakers creating policy that secures and maintains each student's tuition rate upon entry for the duration of their degree, as opposed to it being raised every year. Another option is for higher education institutions to adopt a free tuition model, which several states have in place. Finally, research implications include conducting a qualitative study regarding students' failure to vertically transfer before or after completing a credential at a 2-year college. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Dual language immersion (DLI), an educational program in which students study grade-level content in English and a partner language, began in the United States in the early 1960s and has surged since the 2010s. Nationwide, DLI continues to rise in popularity (Freire, Alfaro, & de Jong, 2024). To some extent, this is because DLI has been successfully promoted as an advantageous educational opportunity and is widely known for inclusive schools that welcome the integration of students and families from all backgrounds (Kotok & DeMatthews, 2018). Increasingly, DLI has begun to emerge in communities undergoing gentrification (Hyra, 2015) whose demographics do not represent those that have historically been served by DLI programs--namely communities of color (Delavan, Freire, & Menken, 2024). Amidst these developments, critical scholarship has revealed weaknesses in the narrative of DLI as a driver of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), showing that racial and economic inequities can be paradoxically exacerbated in DLI settings because Whiteness still dominates (e.g., Dorner, Moon, Freire, Gambrell, Kasun, & Cervantes-Soon, 2023; Palmer, Cervantes-Soon, Dorner, & Heiman, 2019). However, this critique has seldom been inclusive of perspectives of low-income and Black residents who may be at risk of displacement because of gentrification, and it simply notes the (under)enrollment of Black students across different DLI contexts without input from Black communities or theorizing their underrepresentation. Furthermore, in this critical DLI work the voices of Black scholars are also underrepresented. As DLI grows in popularity and continues to emerge in gentrifying areas, scholarship must begin to consider how it is perceived by and how it affects those communities, especially since little is known about perceptions of DLI in predominantly Black and low-income communities where gentrification may be viewed as a contributor to bringing these programs. In this dissertation, I explore how community stakeholders from two adjacent gentrifying neighborhoods in Washington DC position themselves toward the (under)enrollment of Black students in DLI and how they justify their positions. Additionally, I explore what perceptions they present toward DLI in gentrifying communities. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 community stakeholders who are school personnel, parents of school-aged children, members of non-profit organizations, and community activists from two DLI schools that I call Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. DLI. Both are in neighborhoods that are gentrifying but still mostly Black. To analyze the data, I apply a raciolinguistic perspective (Flores & Rosa, 2015) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) and its methodology of counter-storytelling (Ladson-Billings, 2022). Through a raciolinguistic perspective, I demonstrate how the interpretive and categorizing practices of racially hegemonic perceiving subjects reproduce raciolinguistic ideologies that are used to justify positions taken towards the demographics of MX and MLK Jr. DLI and their surrounding communities, in general, and towards the (under)enrollment of Black students, in particular. Using CRT and counter-storytelling, I highlight inequities in DLI from a non-hegemonic and racialized perspective by presenting a composite story of a character that represents several interview participants who are community stakeholders. One key finding is that the reproduction of raciolinguistic ideologies to justify one's position towards DLI and gentrification is arguably a response to macroaggressions that devalue the language practices of Black speakers of English, and that it is related to one's connection to their community before the implementation of DLI and gentrification. Additionally, another key finding is that it is possible for Black community stakeholders to orient toward both positive and negative perceptions of DLI. Thus, a new category of counter-storytelling is needed, which I call parallel-storytelling. The findings shed light on the realities of Black and low-income communities experiencing gentrification that exist alongside--not in opposition to--the realities suggested by dominant and counter-narratives about DLI. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Fiscal rules have emerged over time as a response to governments' challenges in managing their public finances. As economies have become more complex, sustainable fiscal policy has become increasingly important. Governments have used fiscal rules to impose discipline on their spending and borrowing and to help ensure they can meet their financial obligations. As a result, the prevalence of fiscal rules has increased in recent decades. In this thesis, I focus on understanding how fiscal rules are implemented across a diverse group of countries. The research fills gaps in current knowledge by examining the factors that influence the adoption of fiscal rules, the effects of these rules on budget balances and bond yields, and the impact of violating fiscal rules on sovereign bonds. The effectiveness of fiscal rules is often assumed to be based on certain assumptions that have not been tested empirically. This research investigates the validity of these assumptions to inform the design of fiscal rules that are effective and efficient. The first chapter provides a brief overview of the history of fiscal rules and the current state of research on the topic. It also outlines the main research questions and hypotheses that will be addressed in subsequent chapters. The second chapter presents a literature review of existing studies on fiscal rules. This includes an examination of the theoretical foundations of fiscal rules, the various types of fiscal rules that have been implemented, and the factors that influence their adoption and effectiveness. The literature review also discusses the benefits and drawbacks of fiscal rules and identifies gaps in the existing research that this study aims to fill. The third and fourth chapter presents the theoretical motivation that underpins the existence of fiscal rules and the methodology used in this study. This includes a description of the deficit bias, its possible causes, and types of fiscal rules. I also describe why I chose to use quantitative methods, limitations, and steps that can be taken to address potential sources of bias and error in the analysis. Chapter five presents a novel dataset on fiscal rule breaks in EU member states. The dataset is an original and unique contribution that I make in this thesis, and it extends the current understanding of fiscal rules and expands avenues for future research. Chapters six, seven, and eight are thematic chapters that each develop research questions and hypotheses for which empirical results are presented. They consider; i) preconditions for fiscal rule existence, ii) how the budget balance and sovereign borrowing cost respond to the existence of fiscal rules under different regimes, and iii) if the fixed income market reacts to fiscal rules being broken. In addition, these chapters include chapter-specific literature reviews, empirical analysis, and detailed discussions of their respective results. Overall, I provide a comprehensive analysis of the adoption and effects of fiscal rules in this thesis, using a quantitative empirical method based on regression analysis.

The academic literature signifies a relationship between corporate culture and performance, particularly for those firms that strive in gaining competitive advantage and long-term effectiveness. Employees with various cultural backgrounds, nationalities, and ideologies require organisations to establish a corporate culture and provide working environment that supports and facilitates employees to achieve the required performance set by their organisations. The current study has applied cultural dimensions of the Hofstede organisational Culture (1983), the Power Distance (PDI), the Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) and Collectivism (IDV) as independent variables. Denison's (2000), Denison and Mishra (1995) environmental traits (Adaptability), (Consistency) and (Involvement) as moderating variables. The dependent financial performance variables, Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), Tobin's Q, and non-financial performance variable "Learning and Growth" and "Reward and Compensation" of listed organisations are selected. The data is evaluated by using multiple statistical techniques, OLS, WLS, and Moderation Analysis. Our regression results show dependent variables ROA and ROE are significantly affected by the overall culture variables. Tobin's Q, is verified when the verification test is performed using the WLS model; the current research implies that individuals perceive and accept these values and beliefs essential to perform. These values are upheld within the groups and individuals to influence employees' performance, affecting the organisational performance as a whole. The results strengthen the necessity to explore combinations of contextual and personal characteristics from an interactive viewpoint to understand both management and employees to evaluate the correct environmental and cultural settings that support sustainable growth.

Invasive Haemophilus influenzae infections have remained an epidemiological concern across the globe even after 3 decades of the H. influenzae serotype b (Hib) vaccine use (Slack, Cripps, Grimwood, Mackenzie, & Ulanova, 2021). With the emergence of severe invasive H.influenzae infections in various parts of the world, it remains crucial to develop novel means of diagnosis and intervention strategies. The Haemophilus surface fibril (Hsf) is a surface adhesin expressed in all encapsulated strains of H. influenzae and is therefore believed to be a critical virulence factor. As per the bioinformatic model, Hsf which is comprised of the passenger domain and translocator domain is predicted to assume ~200 nm long homo-trimeric morphology. Although the initial biochemical study recently proposed that Hsf assumes a unique twisted hairpin-like architecture at the bacterial surface, this remains to be established in the absence of its molecular structure. This thesis tested this hypothesis by solving the high-resolution structure of the truncated Hsf888-1337 segment containing the putative domain 3 (PD3) and the binding domain 3 (BD3). PD3 and BD3 are unique to Hsf and have been implicated for the bend in the proposed hairpin architecture. Here I show that the Hsf888-1337 assumes only a slight bend which is not significant enough to support the hypothesis of a novel hairpin-like structure. Nevertheless, the work here renders the first-ever structural evidence at atomic resolution for the presence of bend architecture in the Trimeric Autotransporter Adhesins (TAA). Altogether, the present finding doesn't only refute the earlier proposition of Hsf forming a hairpin structure but provides the first credible evidence for the presence of bending morphology in the TAA protein. In particular, the Hsf888-1337 structure shows that the PD3 and BD3 domains are linked with a highly flexible neck. Interestingly, the PD3 and BD3 domains are unique to Hsf but also show approximately 60% sequence similarity with the well-characterized binding domain 1 (BD1) of the Haemophilus influenzae adhesin (Hia) protein. The BD1 domain of Hia is responsible for its adhesion, hence implying the importance to study the PD3 and BD3 in Hsf. As the physical interaction between Hsf and the host factor- Vitronectin (abundantly available in the blood) is already well established, for the second part of my thesis, I tested the adhesive property of individual domains of the Hsf with Vitronectin. This part of the study was aimed at demonstrating the utility of Hsf-vitronectin interaction in developing the point of care testing for Invasive Haemophilus influenzae Infections. Using the Cyclic voltammetry, this study contributes towards the development of improved, cost-effective diagnostic tools against H. influenzae.

SECTION A Anorexia nervosa can be maintained by difficulties expressing and regulating emotion. This systematic review aimed to identify whether four therapies recommended for anorexia target and successfully impact emotion regulation. Ten studies met eligibility criteria and were assessed against appropriate risk of bias tools. Studies at low risk of bias indicated that midtherapy negative emotional expression predicted improved outcomes for CBT-ED/FP,and emotional avoidance predicted poorer outcomes for MANTRA/SSCM. MANTRA was described as improving emotional connection and acceptance. Tentative evidence indicated that CBT-ED reduced impulsivity but did not improve distress tolerance, however quality was mixed and higher-quality studies are needed. Implications and limitations are discussed. SECTION B Sequences of emotion change (from secondary to primary, and maladaptive to adaptive) have been associated with improved outcomes. Emotional expression across phases of an emotion-focused therapy for adults with anorexia nervosa was qualitatively coded for eight participants: four who had recovered and four who had not fully recovered. Findings were then quantitively analysed. Sequential patterns of change were observed, from secondary to primary adaptive emotions. Recovery was associated with fear of abandonment reducing over therapy and greater primary adaptive emotion expressed, including hurt/grief and acceptance. Not fully recovering was associated with greater need expression over time and self-soothing. Limitations, as well as implications for future research and clinical practice are explored.

This thesis focuses on the representation of education of girls in the eighteenth and the early nineteenth century, particularly from 1749 to 1820. It aims at exploring the importance of critical interpretation in education and developing girls' interpretative skills for the acquisition of virtues. In the process the girls develop either intellectually, through a study of certain non-religious books approved by their instructors, or morally, as a result of their teachers' decision to incorporate the study of religious books in their curriculum. This difference is clearly recognized by the selected authors in their respective texts. Therefore, the primary research objective of this thesis is the exploration of critical interpretation in the education of girls from 1749-1820 and how it results in their intellectual and moral development. Furthermore, the arguments presented by the selected authors on teaching religious books to children directs this research towards investigating different establishments which provided schooling in the eighteenth and the early nineteenth century and what teaching methods were adopted by the educators inside those establishments, thus also focusing on the importance of ideal educators and their characteristics. Finally, this thesis addresses the complex question of how religion and education worked as two sides of the same coin during a key period of Britain's history. Chapter one focuses on the education of women in the first half of the eighteenth century, looking in particular at Sarah Fielding's The Governess (1749). It argues that girls must be taught to critically interpret every book for moral lessons which also include fairy tales, dramatic plays and poems. Chapter two focuses on the education of women in the second half of the eighteenth century and explores Hannah More's Strictures on the Modern System of Female Education (1799). It shows how More lay emphasis on the development of girls' interpretative skills by teaching them to critically interpret only the Bible. According to More, education must relentlessly focus on inculcating Christian principles in children which helps us in understanding the influence of Evangelicalism on the education of women. Chapter three discusses the religious revision of Fielding's The Governess (1749) by Mary Martha Sherwood in 1820 and elaborates further on the influence of Evangelicalism on early nineteenth-century women's academies in England. This thesis distinguishes itself and represents how a common educational practice of teaching critical interpretation to children connected different women educationalists of the eighteenth and the early nineteenth century. Hannah More and Mary Martha Sherwood emphasize scriptural education and draw a curriculum that primarily includes the study of the Bible along-with other books for a moral development of the girls whereas Sarah Fielding completely rejects teaching religious books to children. These writers prioritize developing girls' interpretative skills which tells how important this educational practice is deemed by the educationalists of the eighteenth and the early nineteenth century and how similar are their approaches towards the education of women.

The development of Direct Acting Antivirals (DAAs) has dramatically transformed the treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) infection and spurred the global movement to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. However, current levels of treatment coverage are insufficient to meet elimination goals. This thesis aims to investigate the treatment of children infected with hepatitis C, and to examine the policies and practices for their diagnosis, treatment, and care to inform the roll out of DAAs for paediatric treatment. This PhD comprises five studies: (i) a systematic review of DAA safety and effectiveness; (ii) a global review of national hepatitis policies; (iii) a global survey of DAA utilisation and availability, healthcare workers' (HCWs) preferences and programmatic barriers to delivering paediatric HCV treatments; (iv) a national survey on policy-practice gaps and DAA uptake in Russia; and (v) analysis of DAA treatment outcomes and DAA uptake for HCV/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infected children and adolescents using real-world data from European HIV cohorts. Results from these studies show that although DAAs are safe and effective for treatment of HCV mono-infected and HCV/HIV co-infected children and adolescents, national HCV policies in most countries do not include recommendations on paediatric testing or treatment. Although HCWs are strongly in favour of treating children, they face barriers in delivering treatment which include absence of national guidelines supporting treatment, limited availability of DAAs, high cost, and lack of paediatric formulations. To achieve the ambitious elimination targets, it is essential to improve access to treatment for all, including the 3.26 million children and adolescents living with HCV. The barriers to service delivery identified here will help policy makers and implementers design interventions to scale up DAAs for children. Results will also contribute to development of treatment guidelines, especially filling the gap in evidence on DAA use for HCV/HIV co-infected children.

This research aimed to analyse the applicability of Service Dominant Logic (SDL) in the healthcare sector of Pakistan. The author wished to make original contributions to SDL by providing empirical findings from the private healthcare clinics operating in Pakistan, with the aim to generalize the results with other developing countries having similar institutional/management settings. Doing so required the adaptation and modification of an SDL theoretical framework, that could justify the findings in context to the way healthcare businesses are conducted in Pakistan and similar developing countries. The need for developing an 'SDL Presence Framework in Healthcare' originated from the different characteristics that the customers of healthcare (patients) exhibited in comparison to the conventional business consumers. Identification of a different market for patients (Business-to-Patients 'B2P') led to designing the SDL Presence Framework, that could facilitate contextual and empirical measurement of SDL. The fulfilment of the aims of this research required data from more than one source. Therefore, the author progressed with conducting two case studies that could justify the findings and warrant the validation of empirical evidence. The author acquired permission to conduct research from the CEOs of two private healthcare clinics operating in Pakistan. Original identities of both organizations are changed due to the concerns of data confidentiality. The scope of this study was two private healthcare clinics (operating in Pakistan) that are present in different socio-economic settings and serve patients adhering to dissimilar social constructs/norms. The case study findings were useful in terms of identifying the differences in healthcare practice, which exist between developed and developing countries, and also within the scope of a developing country (heterogenous socio-economic societies). Results from this research confirmed the need to segment customer market in the healthcare sector and warranted the contextualization of value, so that it may be better understood in dissimilar economic settings as well as in the institutional parameters of national culture. Moreover, this exploration has been able to challenge the core of Service Dominant Logic by demonstrating that the theory on institutional arrangements fails its application to all the exchanges, when examined in the context of the developing world. This research has generated valuable insights that contribute to the development of SDL theory and practice in the healthcare sector. A strong attempt is made by the researcher to discuss the findings on the micro (organizational), meso, and macro (societal) levels of the service ecosystem. Empirical outcomes from the case studies have implications for SDL theory, general practitioners, the Pakistani healthcare system, and the relevant committee of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Biomedical telemetry has gained a lot of attention with recent developments in the healthcare industry. This technology has made it feasible to monitor the physiological signs of a patient remotely without traditional hospital appointments and follow up check-ups. Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs) play an important role in monitoring patients through wireless telemetry. IMDs have a wide range of applications which includes wireless endoscopy, blood pressure monitoring, wireless drug delivery, cardiac defibrillation, pacemakers and blood sugar level monitoring etc. IMDs consist of nodes and sensors in which the antenna is a major component. The selection of the antenna is a challenging task in IMD design as it dictates performance of the whole implant. Various factors need to be considered for implantable antennas such as miniaturization, patient safety, biocompatibility, low power consumption and providing robust and continuous operation within a harsh environment. The human body is a very lossy medium and affects the working of the antenna significantly. Therefore, designing an antenna to operate from inside the body is a very challenging task. Three novel implantable antennas are designed using a simple methodology. Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio software is used to design and simulate the antennas. The antennas are compact in size, light weight and show good performance in implantable conditions. A circular patch antenna is designed for operating in Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band at 915 MHz using coaxial probe feed. The overall volume of the antenna is (π×42×0.38) mm3. At 915 MHz the antenna has a peak gain of -28.8 dBi and has a bandwidth of 90 MHz when simulated in simplified skin layer phantom of the human body. The radiation efficiency of the antenna is -31.6 dB at resonant frequency. The 1-gram(g) and 10-gram(g) average(avg) SAR values for this antenna are 1218 and 125.2 W/Kg when the input power of the antenna was 0.5W. The antenna satisfies the requirements for implantable applications. A microstrip rectangular patch antenna is designed operating in Medical Implantable Communication Service (MICS) band (402-405) MHz and ISM bands of (902-928) MHz and (2.4-2.45) GHz. The antenna resonates at 402 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz when simulated in simplified fat layer phantom of the human. The size of the antenna is (6×5×0.5) mm3. At resonant frequencies the peak gain of the antenna is (-47.7, -37.2, -25.5) dBi. This antenna offers a bandwidth of (108, 170, 250) MHz with a radiation efficiency of (-52, -42, -32) dB at operating frequencies. The 1g avg. SAR values of rectangular patch antenna at operating frequencies are (122, 184, 863) W/Kg and 10g avg. SAR values of rectangular patch antenna at operating frequencies are (12.25, 18.42, 86.42) W/Kg when the antenna was excited with an input power of 0.5W. Finally, design of a compact size antenna operating at 915 MHz is presented. The antenna has a size of (4×4×0.26) mm3. When simulated in simplified skin layer phantom the antenna offers a bandwidth of 170 MHz with a peak gain of -34.7 dBi at resonant frequency. The radiation efficiency of the antenna is -36.5 dB. SAR values of this antenna are 1069 W/Kg for 1g avg. and 108 W/Kg for 10g avg. with 0.5W input power. All of the designed antennas are simulated in simplified human body phantom model and multilayer tissues. After that the antennas are subjected to different implant depths to investigate their performance with varying implant depths. Different thicknesses of insulation layer are used to analyse the effects on antenna resonance. To check the antenna integration with sensors, dummy electronic components are used, and antennas are simulated which shows the diversity of designed antennas. The designed antennas are simulated in anatomical body model and the results showed a good match between anatomical body model and phantom body model. A size reduction of 15%, 29% and 47% and overall performance improvement of 9%, 15% and 12% is achieved for the designed circular patch antenna, rectangular patch antenna and compact size antenna which proves that the designed antennas are best match for the implantable applications.

This thesis investigates the creation of new living membranes for architecture. It explores the design and fabrication of large-scale photosynthetic panels made of water-based algae-laden biological materials. The research begins by recognising natural processes as fluid processes within which the temporal stabilities of growth and decay are actively integrated. This allows to reimagine building materials as fluid systems assembled across scales of magnitude, thereby creating a transitory 'viscous' zone that establishes a continuum between the object of artificial ecosystems (architecture) with the subject of the environment (nature). Situated at the intersection of architecture and biochemical engineering, the work delves on the pivotal role of viscosity in water-based polymeric materials to support biological activity. Hydrogels are shown to exhibit cell-friendly environments on the microscale, while being able to construct a hierarchical composite with structural and chemical stability on the macroscale. The hydrogel's viscous properties are crucial for scale-up fabrication through techniques of additive manufacturing and casting. Morphological investigations have led to a series of large-scale scaffolds, with varying properties ranging from homogenous 'biolayers' to the heterogenous 'biohybrids'. Each were designed to optimise the performance of microalgal cells and their relative photosynthetic activity as they performed applications such as bioremediation, biosorption and biophotovoltaics. The workflow developed through this thesis illustrates the possibility of applying biocompatible structures made of viscous biomaterials in the built environment.

Smartphone penetration is growing across the globe and people from all over the world are increasingly using this device. However, the average replacement cycle length of smartphone is increasing. The consumers are taking longer now to replace their smartphone. This presents the problem for the smartphone corporations to better understand the challenges currently present for consumers regarding adopting new smartphones and how the latest technology is perceived across cultures. Previous literature confirms the link of culture and uptake of technology. However, there are lack of technology acceptance models which takes culture into account and there is scarcity of frameworks which compares European and Middle Eastern culture in context of innovation. The purpose of our study is to explore the impact of culture within smartphone industry by developing a framework which compares adoption behaviour. This study aims to fill this gap by developing and testing a conceptual framework based on Technology Acceptance Model, Theory of Reasoned Action, Sheth Model and Hofstede's Cultural Dimension Theory. Researcher attempts to validate the moderating effect of Hofstede's cultural dimensions on behavioural intention to use new smartphone technology. This exploratory study uses interpretivist approach and gathers qualitative data by conducting 28 in depth semi-structured interviews to evaluate the psychological behaviour of the consumers in UK and Saudi Arabia aged 18-34. Our study concluded that both adoption and resistance towards innovation within smartphone usage are driven to a varying extent by Individualism, Uncertainty avoidance, and Power distance dimensions. The research also showed that smartphone users across both cultures believed that there has not been a meaningful innovation within smartphone industry in last 5 years. This study contributes by enlightening Policy makers, Smartphone corporations, and Software developers on factors relevant in adoption of latest smartphone features (Voice Assistants, Digital Payments). It also contributes to body of knowledge by confirming the impact and relevance of culture in technological industry. The study provides an in-depth analysis in the area which is underdeveloped theoretically and encourage future researchers to apply our model in different regions and industries.

Lithium-ion batteries have emerged as major energy storage devices over the last few decades. For enhanced battery life, understanding the relevant degradation mechanisms and their control has been a significant area of research interest. The dissertation explores the state of health in lithium-ion batteries in terms of solid electrolyte interface layer growth. The proposed optimal strategy gives a quantitative approach to measure the interface layer. A novel non-linear model predictive control algorithm is devised for online optimal charging by explicitly incorporating degradation mechanisms into control to reduce the degradation process. Chemical and mechanical degradation mechanisms have been considered separately for the growth of the interface layer. The work addresses the challenge of minimising layer growth during charging using the first-order model in chemical degradation. However, the interface layer is modelled based on the break and repair effect in mechanical degradation. A single particle model is used for optimal charging using orthogonal projection-based model reformulation. Gauss pseudo-spectral method is used for the optimisation of charging trajectories. Results of the optimal algorithm are compared with the traditional constant current constant voltage approach without considering the interface layer growth. The aim of using different degradation concepts is to find similarities in charging patterns in lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, it is ensured that overpotential caused by lithium plating remains in a healthy regime considering chemical degradation, i.e. it must be positive during charging. Simulation results have been presented to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed charging method dealing with two side reactions simultaneously. The dissertation extends the results of the proposed non-linear model predictive control strategy considering chemical degradation in two ways. First, the single particle model with temperature dynamics was adopted to examine the thermal behaviour of lithium-ion batteries and temperature control. Second, the differential flatness method is applied to examine its computational benefits over pseudo-spectral methods. A brief discussion on implementing the proposed algorithm in a battery management system of electric vehicles is presented.

A cyclist is a vulnerable road user whose safety is affected by several externalities. The global aim of the research is to investigate the effect of critically identified variables of rider attributes of age, gender, varied environmental condition of lighting, meteorology, and micro-infrastructure variables on the safe usage of the infrastructure for a cyclist. Presently, very few works have attempted to undertake such modelling. A novel methodological framework is developed, consisting of descriptive, statistical, artificial intelligence and mathematical approaches. Accurate prediction models are developed, and in-depth knowledge of how different variables affect cyclist safety are identified, modelled, and quantified. It is found that the variables of age, gender, varied environmental conditions, and micro-infrastructure variable are critical variables affecting the safe usage of infrastructure. These variables, both individually and in combination, impact cyclist safety. Cycling safety is a dynamic variable that varies temporally and spatially. The spatial and environmental variables have a significantly varied effect on safety depending upon the rider personal attribute. As the number of safety variables that the cyclist must conform to grows, so does the risk. The riskiest environmental conditions are exacerbated by the prevailing traffic flow regime, posing a significant safety risk to cyclists. The modelling requirement of a cyclist is significantly different from motorists. A hybrid intelligent modelling paradigm is required, as demonstrated in this research. The study results can significantly impact the route choice, modelling, and planning of infrastructure. A shift in the road safety analysis towards nanoscopic modelling can help achieve zero-vision road traffic fatality. The research reinforces a need for planning and design of infrastructure to move towards a more holistic approach while considering the limitations of this vulnerable road user.

The recent discovery of intracellular complement activation, specifically anaphylatoxin generation and downstream autocrine receptor engagement in conventional α/β CD4+ T cells has provided new insights into mechanisms of T cell activation, polarisation, and homeostatic survival. Anaphylatoxin generation by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) which leads to paracrine signalling via anaphylatoxin receptors on T cells has also been observed but is less extensively described. It is speculated that cell-derived complement may also influence the activity of non-conventional α/β T cells, specifically invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells. The modulation of iNKT cell effector function by cell-derived complement may manifest in two ways, either through autocrine signalling events or via paracrine signalling by neighbouring APCs. Through a combination of molecular biology approaches, a thorough appraisal of iNKT complement expression profiles was performed. Specifically, iNKT cells were shown to up-regulate C3 and the anaphylatoxin receptors C3aR and C5aR1 on their cell surface upon activation with the canonical ligand α-GalCer. Moreover, iNKT cells may 'recycle' C3 from the extracellular space, to potentially regulate complement in their local microenvironment. As iNKT cells mature dendritic cells (DC) in a CD40L-dependent manner, subsequent work showed that engagement of the CD40-CD40L axis also influenced DC complement expression profiles. Specifically, the alternative pathway (AP) complement protein Factor B (FB) along with C3 were positively modulated by CD40 ligation. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of FB by proprietary GSK inhibitors, specifically cell-permeable small molecules was shown to suppress DC effector function. Subsequent work which assessed cell-derived anaphylatoxin generation was undertaken to validate the specificity of pharmacological inhibition. In conclusion, potential crosstalk mechanisms between the CD40- CD40L axis and FB may underscore DC activation profiles. Modulation of DC effector function may in turn influence iNKT activation at the iNKT-APC interface.

Collaborative approaches, such as Flipped Classroom and Project Based Learning, are commonly used within engineering education. Challenges linked to group-work often render these approaches ineffective, inefficient and less inclusive. Self, Co and Shared regulation scripts offer a potentially efficient way to orchestrate group-work. However, over-scripting and successful transfer of skills to un-orchestrated environments pose challenges. Trust and conflict are important for team effectiveness but they have rarely been investigated within engineering education or scripting studies. Likewise, benefits of non-social prompts for inclusiveness has not been investigated. To this end, I developed a Computer Orchestrated Group Learning Environment (COGLE), which supports and promotes cooperation, group-wide mastery and encourages teammates to come together. I investigated its impact on acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for team working. I also studied the transfer of these newly acquired skills to an un-orchestrated setting. This research contributes to the theory around use of computer orchestration for attitudes and regulation skills development. It explores important links between team effectiveness and conflict management, self-efficacy, team-trust and regulation skills. Two literal replication cases helped verify the findings related to COGLE use and a theoretical replication helped discard the rival theory explanations. In the theoretical replication case, students orchestrated their learning and working themselves. Within-case and cross-case analysis helped generate empirical evidence used in modifying the theoretical framework. COGLE helped neuro-typical and neuro-atypical students to engage in early and often communication, experienced reduced social awkwardness, and developed trust in each other in record time. It helped transfer goal-orientedness and regulations skills to un-orchestrated team task. Neuro-typical students improved their self-efficacy with neuro-atypical not that far behind and they delivered on team tasks together. Whereas in the theoretical replication case, clique formation, low cognitive trust, low self-efficacy, delayed communication, and partial completion highlighted the challenges of un-orchestrated collaborative settings. Keywords: Team-working, orchestration, self-efficacy, trust, conflicts, regulation of learning and scripting.

This doctoral dissertation examines the experience of long-range upward mobility in contemporary Chile. Internationally well-known for the implementation of pioneering and radical neoliberal reforms, Chile has both high rates of occupational mobility and a strong trend towards social closure at the top. Based on an extensive qualitative study, this research focuses on those who best represent the embodiment of the meritocratic ideal across Western nations: the long-range upwardly mobile coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and reaching high-status occupations after attending elite universities. Endorsing an increasing sociological interest in the study of the elites, this thesis argues for the need to move from the conventional occupational-based approach towards a cultural and multigenerational perspective on social mobility. In particular, it acknowledges the crucial significance of concepts such as cultural capital and cultural repertoires used in tandem with three different sources of multigenerational transmission underpinning upward mobility: families, schools, and high-status occupations. The findings reveal a double-faced experience associated with a long-range upward trajectory in the Chilean context: while one of these faces indicates the lingering class dislocation the long-range upwardly mobile experience regarding both their ties of origin and destination, the other side emphasises the constant search to re-find belonging and meaning to their displaced sense of self in the social space. The variability fashioning this double-faced experience is largely dependent on a number of intervening or mediating factors underpinning their upward trajectories: geographical origin, the cultural repertoires tied to their backgrounds of origin, gender, school trajectory, and the specific occupational settings sustaining their professional lives. Drawing on these findings, this doctoral dissertation contributes to reorient research on mobility, both in the Global South and North, by promoting greater cross-fertilisation between the contributions emerging from cultural sociology with a broad multi-generational view of inequality.

Chapter 1: Service-Related Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Carers of People Living with Dementia: A Systematic Review. Introduction: Evidence suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer + (LGBTQ+) adults experience difficulties accessing person-centred health and social care. Experiences of social exclusion may place additional strain on LGBTQ+ carers compared to heterosexual or cisgender counterparts and intersect further with the stigma of dementia. This review aimed to synthesise service-related experiences of LGBTQ+ carers of people living with dementia. Method: Seven electronic databases were systematically searched. Two journals were hand-searched. Reference list and forward citation searches were conducted on included papers. Results: 325 records were screened. A total of 10 papers were eligible for thematic synthesis and quality appraisal. Only gay and lesbian carers were represented in included studies. Synthesis identified three central themes: 'Intersecting forms of discrimination', '(Loss of) control over the disclosure process' and 'Diverse support needs and preferences.' Conclusions: Intersecting forms of discrimination, including explicit homophobia and implicit heteronormativity, can increase burden on gay and lesbian carers of people living with dementia. Control over the disclosure process is important to many carers but can be lost as the cared for person's dementia progresses. Gay and lesbian carers have diverse support needs and preferences, indicating service development is needed to provide safe and inclusive spaces. Further research is required to enrich understanding in this area and should include racially, culturally and socially diverse (LG)BTQ+ carers of people living with dementia. Chapter 2: Experiences of Divorced Women Living in Palestine: A Mixed-Method Narrative Analysis. Introduction: Research involving divorced Palestinian women is limited. Previous studies found some women seek divorce due to domestic abuse and lack of autonomy, and that previous generations experienced social exclusion. This cross-cultural secondary analysis aimed to understand how divorce changes the lives and psychological wellbeing of contemporary Palestinian women, how intersecting identities might influence change, and to recommend areas of Palestinian research development for traditionally marginalised groups. Method: A single-case narrative was developed from a translated transcript, and common themes were compared with quantitative data from a sample of 93 divorced women assessed with a survey designed by local clinicians. Results: In the single-case narrative, divorce represented freedom from a "prison-like" marriage and a chance for personal development. Half of the broader sample shared experiences of abusive marriages and most anticipated more freedom following divorce. Differences in age, place of residence and educational level were considered. Conclusions: Divorce can improve the lives of Palestinian women and provide opportunities for wellbeing and personal growth. However, post-divorce experience may vary depending on age, family support, living situation and educational level. Palestinian researchers are encouraged to enrich understanding in this area by developing methodologies relevant to the sociocultural and political context.

High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) has been shown to promote multiple health benefits and well-being in youth. However, HIIE is proposed to elicit negative affect responses (unpleasant feelings) as predicted by the dual mode theory (DMT), and may negatively impact on future exercise adherence. Previous studies have explored how perceptual, physiological and cognitive factors are associated to negative affect responses during continuous high-intensity exercise, but affect experience (pleasure/displeasure) during HIIE is poorly understood in adolescents. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate acute affect responses to HIIE in adolescents, and to examine the influence of physiological (i.e. heart rate (HR) and prefrontal cortex (PFC)), perceptual (i.e. enjoyment and rating of perceived exertion (RPE)), and cognitive (i.e. self-efficacy and personality traits) factors. Chapter 4 demonstrates that HIIE (work intervals performed at 90% of peak power (PPO)) is perceived to be more enjoyable due to elevated feelings of reward, excitement and success than continuous moderate-intensity exercise, which was perceived to be more boring in adolescents. Chapter 5 examined the acute affect, enjoyment and RPE responses to HIIE (work intervals performed at 90% of maximal aerobic speed) compared with moderate-intensity interval exercise (MIIE). Chapter 5 reports that HIIE elicits less pleasurable feelings at the later stages of work intervals but greater post-enjoyment than MIIE, extending and reinforcing the findings in Chapter 4. The findings from Chapter 5 are furthered in Chapters 6 and 7, which identified that the affect responses during HIIE are dependent on the intensity and delivery (decreasing vs increasing) of the HIIE protocol. Chapter 6 revealed that HIIE performed at 100% PPO elicited a greater decline and lower affect responses across all work intervals than HIIE performed at 85% and 70% PPO. However, all HIIE conditions generated similar enjoyment responses during and after exercise. Chapter 7 showed that affect and enjoyment responses improve (more pleasurable and enjoyable) near the end of HIIE with decreasing work intensity compared to HIIE with increasing work intensity. Moreover, the increases in positive affect experienced during HIIE were positively related to an increase in PFC oxygenation. Chapters 5-7 also demonstrate that RPE and HR responses were inversely related to changes in the affect responses in all HIIE conditions. Finally, Chapter 8 identified that both individual self-efficacy and personality traits may decrease or increase the likelihood that a person will experience positive affective and enjoyment responses to HIIE at the later stages of work intervals in adolescents. Collectively, the studies presented in this thesis demonstrate that affect responses during HIIE are dependent on the work intensity, work delivery, and changes in enjoyment, RPE, PFC oxygenation and cognitive factors. Given that some permutations of HIIE protocols do not elicit prominent and entirely negative affective responses, HIIE protocols could serve as a strategy to encourage exercise adoption and promote health benefits in adolescents.

The focus of this study was to implement a qualitative study exploring African American Students' experience of racial bias in higher education. The problem addressed by this study was that racial bias on college campuses has a negative impact on the African American students' academic performance as well as their pursuance of other educational opportunities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the racial bias that African American students face in higher education and its negative effect on their academic journey as well as in post-graduation opportunities. The results of this study advanced the guiding theoretical framework by contributing the lived experiences of these African American students of racial bias and gave a better framework of what to look for when studying this topic. A qualitative methodology was selected to explore the racial bias experiences of African Americans who graduated from a four-year university within the past seven years in the Northeastern part of the United States. Phenomenological research design was chosen for this research to help understand the lived experiences of African Americans students in higher education. The targeted population for racial bias experiences of African American students in higher education of this study were African American students who graduated from a four year university within the past seven years in the Northeastern part of the United States and the target size was 12. The themes of this researched showed that racial bias in higher education existed in the participants experience. This study revealed issues of students emotionally developing in higher education within their academic journey. The results of this study showed that nine out of 10 participants experienced some level of racial bias in higher education in which had a negative effect in their academic performance and them wanting to pursue academic goals. Recommendations for future research would be gender focused. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This researcher explored English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' experiences in learning English using Self-Organized Learning Environments (SOLEs) within the context of their English foundation year in a college setting in Oman. Three purposes guided this research: 1. to explore Omani EFL students' experience of and orientation toward SOLEs, 2. to investigate whether SOLE pedagogy is able to facilitate an effective English language learning environment for Omani students and 3. to theorize a model for effective and impactful SOLE adoption within an EFL learning context. Most of the previous studies on SOLEs have only examined students' achievements in SOLEs but have not explored participants' views, emotions and criticism of the new learning environment, a considerable omission from the research since SOLEs purport to be precisely a learning environment that is able to be responsive to and malleable and mutable by the participants themselves. Using a participatory action research design, data sources included a series of diaries, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and the researcher's field notes. Interaction between the researcher and participants and among participants themselves helped to ensure the rigour of this research. Throughout the research, participants were involved in expressing their ideas and thoughts about SOLEs and in decision-making as they were offered numerous opportunities to continually reflect upon and refine their thoughts. The results indicated that SOLEs can be a successful EFL pedagogical approach but any SOLE utilised for this purpose has to undergo structural changes which include the nature and role of big questions and the role of teachers. Results indicated that teachers should take more roles, such as, supervise, monitor, and adopt different behaviours, such as remaining in the classroom, supporting, encouraging and grouping students when appropriate. Results also indicated that big questions should not be the only questions asked. Some strengths of SOLEs that were indicated by the results include the suitability of SOLEs for tertiary level education, boosting learning and cooperation, giving students some freedom, creating the possibility for student autonomy, empowering students, allowing the use of the Internet, suitability for different learning styles, and motivating students in ways hitherto iii unacknowledged by teachers. These results together form the contribution and significance of this empirical study. This empirical study assists in understanding the construction of an effective English language learning environment in an under-researched international context. It also contributes to previous and ongoing studies that investigate SOLEs in different contexts and fields to explore and examine their impact on students' experiences. This study concludes with implications for future studies that include the investigation of SOLEs in relation to student retention and achievement in language learning courses.

There is a continuing need for global attention to focus on further development of devices to enable efficient energy storage. This must align with a new and stringent renewable energy target of 32 % for the European Union by 2030. Present materials used within Li-ion batteries currently have a limitation on the amount of energy they can store and for a specified duration. In order to advance the capacity of their most advanced cylindrical cells, Tesla, Samsung, LG and Sony at present use a small fraction of silicon in graphite-dominant anodes to overcome issues around volume expansion and to extend operational life. However, to date, no successful commercial product has been reported that contains silicon as the predominant lithium host material. The solutions offered so far in literature involve complex chemical synthesis or intricate processing routes, which are not realistic solutions to produce practical or cost-effective devices. The thesis core is based on innovative approaches to stabilising silicon-based anodes via additives, which can be conveniently synthesised or commercially available and are chemically compatible with the electrode components. This research work reports on the use of metal-organic frameworks, namely UiO-66 and UiO-67, to enhance the electrochemical performance of high-capacity silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries. This research work also studied other hybrid anode systems, based on silicon-graphene and silicon-tin powders, using conventional formulation approaches to compare with an advanced electrode manufacturing technique. This study demonstrates that certain additives improve the flexural capability and mechanical integrity of electrode materials. These additives extend the durability of silicon anodes to enable extended reversible transfer of Li-ions, and hence enable a longer lifespan of the battery. This study reports the use of high-quality physicochemical characterisation from a variety of experimental techniques to correlate the anode's microstructure, dynamics and atomic-scale structure with the maintained performance of the battery. Focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) tomography, in conjunction with impedance spectroscopy and associated physical characterisation, has been employed to capture and quantify key aspects of the evolution of internal morphology and resistance build up within anodes. FIB-SEM tomography has been employed to explore the hierarchical structure of battery electrodes and for diagnosing battery failure mechanisms with high-resolution imaging. This approach will enable us to observe and quantify failures in Li-ion batteries at the electrode level. It is anticipated that this study will influence major improvements in the design of Li-ion battery materials and their processing which in turn positively impact cell performance.

Parallel independent component analysis (ICA) is a framework for analysing concurrent electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals recorded from the brain that involves performing ICA in each modality and then matching the independent components (ICs) across modalities based on their statistical similarities. Together, the matched ICs are understood to provide information about the same neural sources (i.e. functional networks), with the EEG IC providing a high resolution temporal description and the fMRI IC providing a high resolution spatial description. In this thesis, EEG ICA, fMRI ICA, and parallel ICA are evaluated in terms of their accuracy at providing source information using synthetic data generated with The Virtual Brain (Sanz-Leon et al., 2013). Two novel extensions to parallel ICA, which are matching the ICs across modalities using spatial features and mutual information, are also proposed and evaluated. The results of this work indicate that EEG ICA, fMRI ICA, and parallel ICA performances increase with the number of orthogonal sources in the absence of noise, and decrease with the level of noise dispersion when the number of sources are fixed. In the absence of noise, EEG and fMRI ICA performances do not vary largely with source network size (in regions), but in the presence of noise, they vary without clear trends. The incorporation of spatial features improves parallel ICA performance at matching the ICs across modalities, whereas the incorporation of mutual information, in comparison with correlation, deteriorates it. An important observation is that the single-modality and parallel ICAs do not always perform well in best-case conditions. That said, it must be acknowledged that this work is an initial investigation in this direction and further work with more diverse simulation parameters is needed to assess the generalisability of these results. This thesis contributes to the existing body of ICA literature by performing the first evaluation of EEG ICA and fMRI ICA in terms of the number of neural sources and source network size. It is also the first evaluation of the parallel ICA approach that matches ICs across modalities using within-subject temporal dynamics, and the first application of parallel ICA that matches the ICs using spatial features and mutual information. This thesis is also the first demonstration of how The Virtual Brain can be used to evaluate unimodal and multimodal neuroimaging methods.

All animals have to adapt to fluctuation in the availability of food. Thus, mechanisms have evolved to help organisms adapt to the intermittent availability of food; especially during periods of starvation viability has to be maintained. At the same time, a growing body of evidence suggests that transient or intermittent starvation is beneficial for healthy ageing, and indeed leads to increased lifespan. This has been demonstrated in model organisms including Caenorhabditis elegans. Recently, multiple starvation studies in C. elegans have unveiled novel mechanisms which regulate important cellular phenomena like fatty-acid metabolism, redox regulation and macroautophagy. Nevertheless, many of the regulatory circuits needed for starvation survival remain to uncovered. In addition, the emerging linkage between mild starvation and increased longevity is a topic area of research. My PhD thesis is based on a previous proteomics study conducted by the Gartner and Lamond labs, which investigated the global changes in protein expression upon starvation. The study analysed the change in proteome of C. elegans when worms were starved for 2-16 hours - a time period of starvation which can increase the mean lifespan of worms by up to 20%. The aim of my thesis was to follow up on some of the proteins found upregulated upon starvation and to investigate if they have a role in mediating survival to starvation and/or link between starvation and longevity. My thesis is focused on two proteins: HIS-71- a highly conserved histone H3 variant, and DAP-1- which is highly conserved in animals, but nevertheless poorly characterized. We found that HIS-71 is required for mediating increased longevity after intermittent starvation. We started to investigate the role of his-71 using double mutant analyses with TOR and Insulin signalling pathways, both known to affect ageing and starvation response. The main focus of my thesis turned out to be on DAP-1. The human DAP1 protein has been implicated in inhibiting autophagy during amino acid starvation in HeLa cells. We found that the C. elegans homolog DAP-1 is a general stress responsive protein whose impairment leads to decreased resistance towards many stresses including starvation. We provide evidence that DAP-1 inhibits autophagy during starvation and that it is required for an increase in lifespan upon restriction mediated increase in lifespan. We establish that the transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO which acts downstream of the Insulin-like/DAF-2 signalling pathway, also governs the expression of DAP-1 during starvation and thus facilitates organismal survival in response to starvation. Overall, we establish DAP-1 as important factor in regulating acute starvation, which impacts important cellular phenomena during starvation.

The increasing number of Internet users around the world is putting strain on the rigid architecture and the limited flexibility of traditional networking systems. This has led to the need for new highly adaptable, programmable and easily manageable networks. In this regard, the new architecture paradigm of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has emerged over the past few years with an aim to simplify the network management and overcome the inflexibility of the traditional networks. SDN has become a hot and thriving topic due to its advantages, which have attracted the attention of both the industrial and academic sectors. However, a review of the relevant literature outlines some concerns regarding the dependability and fault management of SDN. Given that SDN is centralised networking system, this means that the network controller is responsible for managing all the network activities. Network link failures occur in everyday operation and it represents 70% of all IP backbone failures. Every time a link goes down, the SDN controller will need to update the network. The current SDN restoration mechanisms do not take into account the time required to update and the cost associated with it, which is important to reduce the recovery process. Moreover, none of the previous work has considered the service disruption, which is highly expected after every failure scenario and leads to decrease the network service availability. This work focuses on two different aspects. These are accelerating the restoration of failure recovery and improving the network service availability. The contributions of this thesis are twofold. First, two new approaches are proposed to provide a significant improvement on existing SDN restoration scheme while maintaining reasonable cost. The approaches rely on the community detection and path anatomy concepts. For both approaches, new network models, algorithms and frameworks are designed. Second, unlike the existing literature, we propose new method that utilises the failure forecasting technique to enrich and facilitate fault management mechanisms of SDNs. This technique allows the SDN controller to predict and avoid risky paths by finding alternative ones before the failure incidents occur. Therefore, this approach aims to decrease the service disruption, which in turn increases network service availability. For validation of the technique; a new network model, a failure generation model, a risk analysis, two algorithms and a framework are designed. All the proposed methods have been implemented using popular simulation tools and experimental results are presented to show how the proposed methods and algorithms can work effectively to enhance the performance of SDN fault management, in particular, and its dependability, in general. Finally, in light of the findings of this work, suggestions are made towards achieving more advances in this research area.

The total syntheses of BocAL(Z)QAMC (i) and BocAL(Boc)Q(Trt)AMC (ii) have been accomplished. Synthesis of compound (i) was achieved by initially coupling the amino acid adjacent to the fluorophore, AMC, using selenocarboxylate / azide amidation coupling conditions, followed by the dipeptide coupling on to the third amino acid in the sequence Q using the coupling reagent HATU, under optimised conditions.1 Synthesis of compound (ii) was achieved using automated peptide synthesis of the protected tripeptide sequence and the final coupling to the fluorophore; AMC was achieved using HATU, under optimised conditions. The integrity of compound (i) and its fragment Q-AMC was found to be compromised during purification steps and storage, by spontaneous decomposition resulting in the premature, non-enzyme assisted cleavage of the fluorophore, AMC. This decomposition was minimised by the addition of the bulky trityl protecting group, therefore compound (ii) was used for biochemical testing. Successful deprotection of compound (ii) was accomplished prior to the enzymatic assay, with the target enzyme 3Cpro. Importantly, the proof of concept has been gained through evidence of enzyme assisted breakdown of the detection probe by fluorescence measurements. Also the deprotected version of compound (ii) was found to show selectivity towards the target enzyme FMDV 3Cpro over other enzymes potentially also present in clinical samples. These enzymes include chymotrypsin, thrombin and trypsin in FMDV clinical samples and the carefully selected TEV protease due to its reported cleavage after amino acid Q in peptide sequences.2 However, problems with the stability of the detection probe after deprotection were still apparent, resulting in a very short shelf-life of the probe. Further work is to be done in the stability of the probe but this project has proved 3Cpro recognises and processes shorter peptide fragments, previously reported not to be the case.

Problem-solving is a critical component of professional practice, particularly in the novel and complex situations that call for rapid decision making. However, although emphasising their importance in professional practice, the literature provides a limited understanding of maintaining mindfulness and the use of social and material resources in the problem-solving process amid an activity, particularly in healthcare. This study, aiming to explore the problem-solving process amid an activity, explores how junior doctors in NHS (United Kingdom) hospital settings recognise and solve problems by maintaining mindfulness and using contextual resources (social and material resources) to achieve specific objectives. The aim of the study and the main features of problem-solving (problem-solving process, problem recognition and problem-solving in achieving specific outcomes), direct this research to explore three questions: 1) How is mindfulness and information processing manifested in the situated processes of junior doctors' problem recognition during their everyday work? 2) How do junior doctors decide when and why to use social and material resources in the midst of their problem-solving process? 3) How do junior doctors work with social and material resources amid their problem-solving process? To explore the questions above, I used and leveraged data from the shadowing (45-days), artefacts (300 reflective logs, online databases) and interviewing (n=22) of junior doctors, conducted as part of this study. The rich data and analysis offered a number of contributions. First, this study contributes by showing how junior doctors (novice professionals) remain mindful of bodily actions, professional knowledge, tools and technology, while at the same time processing acquired information in defining problems in a distinct way; i.e., bodily actions capture clues that enable the recall of related knowledge and are subsequently organised to capture all related clues and information. Furthermore, junior doctors interpret clues and information that can be based on intuitive and analytical reasoning as defined in the dual process theory of information during problem recognition. I reveal that contextual complexities and clues if captured effectively through actions and body sensory clues (listening, smelling, feeling, touch etc.), facilitate cognition during the problem-solving process, contrary to findings from recent research. Second, the findings offer a novel insight into the process of employing social and material resources for problem-solving. My study shows that social and material resources are equally important and reveals explicitly when and why social or material resources are used. The study establishes that material recourses are used when the problem is sophisticatedly defined (articulated in medical professional language) during the problem-solving process, while social resources are employed when the problem is crudely defined during the problem-solving. Finally, the study shows that that effective use of social resources during problem-solving is dependent on the assessment of expertise and availability of the person consulted. This advances our understanding by showing that this aspect of problem-solving also relies on the willingness of a specific person to help in a given time and space. The study has several practical implications in minimising error in medical decisions making and improving the learning of junior doctors, which are also specified.

Introduction: Coronary stent thrombosis (ST) is a significant complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) associated with poor clinical outcomes. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the underlying causes and mechanisms of ST and to study the potential use of novel coronary stents. Methods: ST patients and controls were recruited to the PRESTIGE study and underwent detailed clinical assessment, optical coherence tomography (OCT), platelet function testing (PFT) and thrombin generation studies. A rabbit iliac model was developed to investigate the bio-neutrality of RGD-peptide stents and the thrombogenicity of Absorb bioabsorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS). Results: ST patients in the PRESTIGE study were younger, had more diabetes mellitus, thromboembolic antecedents, recent non-cardiac surgery, first generation drug eluting stents (DES), less aspirin use and less circumflex arteries involved. The OCT studies showed predominantly malapposition and under-expansion in early ST and uncovered struts and neoatherosclerosis in very late ST. Clopidogrel 'high on treatment platelet reactivity' (HPR) rates were high. The in vivo studies demonstrated more platelet adherence to the BVS than standard DES. The recovery model showed good healing and endothelialisation of RGD stents, with no ST at 28-days. However, this positive outcome was similar in the control bare metal stents (BMS). Conclusion: ST patients have risk factors that can potentially be used to predict risk in patients undergoing PCI. The rate of malapposition and under-expansion seen on OCT in early ST highlights the importance of adequate stent sizing and post dilation. The rate of uncovered struts and neoatherosclerosis in very late ST highlights the need for a more bio-neutral stent and aggressive secondary prevention. The in vivo results may partly explain some of the disappointing outcomes reported in the ABSORB II and III studies. Finally, the HPR rate on clopidogrel warrants further consideration when deciding on DAPT strategy in high risk patients.

Millimetre-wave (mmW) technology is one of the promising candidate for the deployment of next generation wireless communications. Key benefits of mmW is the availability of large continuous bandwidth and miniaturization of microwave components due to short wavelength. Despite of aforementioned benefits of mmW technology there are also some challenges such as the high path loss, severe attenuation due to atmospheric absorption and signal blockage. One solution to mitigate the path loss and signal blockage at mmW frequencies is by using high gain directional antenna arrays with beam steering capabilities for point-to-point communication. The goal of this thesis is to develop new modelling techniques and fabrication methods for the design and implementation of efficient, cost-effective, high gain, easy to design and manufacture mmW antenna arrays and other microwave components (integrated waveguides, phase shifters and rectifiers) for 5G wireless communications and far field wireless power transfer (WPT) applications. A simple yet efficient excitation technique for microstrip patch antenna (MPA) arrays is presented based on higher order mode substrate integrated waveguide (SIW). The proposed approach also enhances the gain of antenna array due to less radiation and transmission losses. In addition to the above, a low cost and easy to manufacture integrated lens antenna (ILA) based on low infill density 3D printing technology is presented for applications where higher gain is required while retaining the small foot print. Proposed antenna arrays are well suited for millimetre-waves 5G communications and far field wireless power transfer applications in Internet-of-things (IoT) sensor nodes. With the gain enhancement of antennas the beam-width of antenna reduce as well as the coverage will also limited. Therefore, to serve the multi-users we need phased antenna arrays for point-to-point communications. The phase shifter is the key component to enable beam steering capabilities. A novel approach to design a compact broadband reconfigurable SIW phase-shifter for phased array antennas in 5G wireless communications is presented and verified by experimental analogue. In addition to SIW phase shifter, to improve the insertion loss in SIW structure due to substrate material a novel design and fabrication technique for low loss hollow integrated waveguide (HIW) based on low cost 3D printing technology is also presented. The proposed components are compact, broadband, low cost and easy to fabricate and integrate with other planar circuits. In regard to mmW wireless power transfer applications, several compact and efficient rectennas has been designed specifically for WPT to IoT sensor nodes for structural health monitoring and inspection applications. Conformal antenna arrays and flexible rectifiers for wearable applications have also been presented. To address the issue of finite battery life of IoT sensor nodes a complete mmW far-field wireless power transfer system for WPT to IoT sensor nodes for backscattering communications is proposed and demonstrated.

Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) functions within a complex signalling cascade, through its activity in two unique complexes mTORC1 and mTORC2, to promote a multitude of different cellular functions including autophagy, protein synthesis and survival. The exact role of these complexes during leukaemia initiation/maintenance remains to be elucidated. Here, using transgenic knockout (KO) mouse models, we determine the individual roles of mTORC1 (targeting Raptor) and mTORC2 (targeting Rictor) in normal haemopoiesis and in CLL initiation/maintenance. Our results demonstrate that mice carrying a targeted KO of Raptor at the haemopoietic stem cell (HSC) stage (Vav-Raptor KO) do not survive post birth. This is due to anaemia resulting from a significant decrease in Ter119+ population, a significant decrease in Klf1 and Klf2 gene expression, and a significant increase in the megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor (MEP) population, suggesting a block at the MEP stage in Vav-Raptor KO foetal liver (FL). While mTORC1 plays a fundamental role in RBC development, we show that mTORC2 plays a potential role in RBC regulation, as Rictor-deficient HSPCs exhibit an increase in RBC colony formation ex vivo. Conditional KO (cKO) of Raptor (Mx1-Raptor cKO) in adult mice results in splenomegaly accompanied by increased spleen organ cellularity. Furthermore, there is a significant decrease in B cell lineage commitment, with a block in B cell development at the Lin-Sca-1+CD117+ (LSK) stage in the BM. mTORC2, on the other hand regulates late B cell maintenance as indicated by a significant decrease in transitional B cells (T1/T2), marginal zone progenitor (MZP), and follicular 1 (fol1) cells in Vav-Rictor KO mice compared to controls. To address the role of mTORC1 and mTORC2 in CLL initiation/maintenance in vitro, BM-derived haemopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) isolated from control (cre-), Raptor-deficient (Mx1-Raptor cKO) or Rictor-deficient (Vav-Rictor KO) mice were retrovirally-transduced with a kinase dead PKCα (PKCαKR) construct to induce an aggressive CLL-like disease. Raptor-deficient BM progenitors exhibited reduced proliferation and failed to generate a CLL-like disease, due to a block in B cell lineage commitment in vitro. However, there was an increase in cell cycling and migration in PKCαKR CLL-like cells with Rictor-deficiency suggesting a role of mTORC2 in disease maintenance. To determine a role for mTORC1 in disease maintenance in vivo, NSG mice were transplanted with Mx1-Raptor control or Mx1-Raptor cKO PKCαKR transduced BM cells. Once disease was established in vivo, cKO was induced and disease load and progression was monitored. Our data demonstrate a decrease in disease load with Raptor cKO, together with a significant increase in survival. Additionally, host mice transplanted with CD19-Raptor KO PKCαKR cells exhibited a significant increase in survival. However, these mice eventually died of disease due to limitations of the KO model. Lastly, to test the translational capacity of mTOR inhibitors, efficiency of AZD2014 (dual mTOR inhibitor), ibrutinib and a combination of the two drugs was assessed in reducing PKCαKR CLL-like disease load in host mice. AZD2014 was as efficient at reducing disease load as ibrutinib, however combination therapy of these drugs was not as efficient compared to single agents. Interestingly, we demonstrate that a more aggressive PKCαKR CLL-like disease (in secondary transplants) is more mTORC1 dependent than in primary transplants, as indicated by the superiority of rapamycin (allosteric mTORC1 inhibitor) in markedly decreasing disease load as compared to AZD2014 in host mice. Taken together, mTORC1 plays an essential role in haemopoiesis, with Raptor-deficiency causing a block in RBC and B cell development at the MEP and LSK stage respectively. In comparison, Rictor-deficiency regulates later B cell lineages and promotes RBC colony formation, potentially through mTORC1 activation. Importantly, CLL-like cells lacking mTORC2 have increased cell cycling and migration whereas mTORC1 deficiency causes a decrease in disease load. Therefore, mTORC1 and mTORC2 play distinct/complementary roles in haemopoietic development and leukaemia initiation/progression. These studies provide a strong foundation for further studies testing novel mTOR inhibitors for CLL in our models.

This Dissertation concerns helping people to make complex decisions. A new approach to select a Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method for a problem is created. The approach is based on an analysis of MCDM problems and methods and robustness of results. That revealed some factors to be addressed when selecting a method, including problem and method characteristics. The new approach suggests a group of candidate methods suitable for a specific problem, then conducts sensitivity analysis on the outcomes of the candidate methods to recommend the method that delivered the most robust outcome. Sensitivity analysis is used for the first time to provide a scientific justification for selecting a MCDM method. Once performance measures and criteria weights are identified then sensitivity analysis and other mathematical approaches are applied to the output of the methods to define the most critical criteria and the most critical performance measures. A MCDM method is recommended that provides the most robust outcome with a compromise between the minimum percentage change required in the most critical criteria and the most critical performance measures to alter the outcome. A new MCDM Methods Recommendation Model (MRM) was created to improve the decision making process by introducing a Reliability Threshold, Credibility Threshold and Credibility Value. Suitable methods are then recommended for a problem based on the robustness of their outcomes to risk and uncertainty anticipated in criteria weights. A set of new Propositions, Rules and Hypotheses are presented based on potential generalized problems. These are tested on a number of numerical examples and revisions are made. The new approach is successfully applied to real world problems, including human resource management, strategic marketing and corporate relocation. Finally the Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluations II (PROMETHEE II) method is applied to suggest a steering direction for powered wheelchairs as a first step towards future work. The work did not compare the outcome of MCDM methods but compared the stability of the outcome for a specific problem when uncertainty affected both criteria weights and performance measures to recommend a method that delivered the most robust outcome. The new approach, model and set of Propositions, Rules and Hypotheses aim to help decision makers in making complex decisions.

Unlike the inter-Satellite communications link (ISL) being used in current space missions, emerging scenarios require point to multi-point links with additional support for autonomous networking amongst multiple satellites. Be it for formation flying or space based wireless sensor networks, these distributed satellite systems require revised communications system design to provide for the various physical topologies, dynamic channel characteristics and user requirements. All three factors being mission specific, that is why, little literature is published, in which physical aspects of the link or the communications system design or the channel is discussed. This thesis determines channel characteristics and performance of OFDM modem for three physical topologies for a proposed mission scenario, bridging the gap in literature. The mission is used as the basis for investigating the impact of relative motion and in-orbit environment on propagating EM waves. The proposed multipoint sensing mission namely the ionosphere monitoring mission (IMM) comprises pico/nano class of satellites in a mother daughter configuration, to take finer easurement of the plasma bulk properties in LEO. Three physical topologies for ISL are identified. Relative motion is studied for (a) free flying CubeSats acting as sensor, (b) a sensor satellite with respect to a relay satellite and (c) several relay satellites in a string-of-pearl configuration. The Doppler shift is nominal tens of Hz for the first and third case, however, the Doppler shift is in kHz for case b. Thus a third order PLL is required in receiver stage. Contrary to what is assumed in literature, the communications channel is identified to exhibit fading. The dynamic fading (fast and slow) can reach up to 20 dB. To cope with the dynamic channel behaviour a reconfigurable OFDM modem is described. This channel is modelled in MATLAB as a Time Delay Line (TDL) structure, and used to evaluate the performance of OFDM modem for data rates up to 1 Mbps. The hardware-in-the-loop simulation methods, assisted in laying a much needed foundation for a testbed for evaluating ISL.

Many theories and hypotheses have been developed to explain the maintenance of diversity in plant communities, particularly in hyperdiverse tropical forests. Maintenance of the composition and diversity of tropical forests is vital, especially species of high commercial value. I focus on the high value dipterocarp timber species of Malaysia and Borneo as these have been extensive logged owing to increased demands from global timber trade. In this thesis, I explore the drivers of diversity of this group, as well as the determinants of global abundance, conservation and timber value.

Derailment of PI3K-Akt signalling is frequently implicated in cancer. While Akt is a highly studied kinase, comparatively little is known about serum and glucocorticoid activated kinase 3 (SGK3), which has similar substrate specificity to Akt and is also involved in growth and survival pathways. Although Akt is considered to be the major mediator of PI3K signalling, evidence has accumulated that SGK3 can play an Akt independent role in cancer. The major aims of my PhD were to define the regulatory mechanisms that control SGK3 activity and to delineate its unique physiological function(s) through identification of SGK3 selective substrate(s). While SGK3 shares 55% sequence identity with Akt in its catalytic domain, SGK3 is unique in that it possesses a PX domain unlike any other kinase known. The PX domain localises SGK3 to PI(3)P containing endosomal membranes. This raised the possibility that SGK3 is regulated differently to Akt. In this thesis, I present data, which provided some of the first evidence that SGK3 is regulated by both PI3K Class I and Class III (Vps34). I next demonstrate that the Vps34 - SGK3 signalling axis is responsive to growth factor stimulation in an analogous manner to PI3K Class I-Akt signalling. This represents a previously unrecognised mode of Vps34 regulation, whereby IGF1 enhances PI(3)P levels through a pathway involving the UV-RAG complex of Vps34 that leads to enhanced recruitment and activation of SGK3. Moreover, I delineate how PI3K Class I exerts control over SGK3 through two different routes, one involving mTORC2 regulation and another involving the generation of a second pool of PI(3)P via sequential dephosphorylation of PI(3,4,5)P3 by SHIP2 and INPP4A/B phosphatases. These highly versatile mechanisms of SGK3 regulation explain how the Vps34-SGK3 axis is able to substitute for Akt following inhibition of PI3K Class I/Akt pathways. They also illustrate robustness of SGK3 activity that can remain active and counteract physiological conditions or stresses where either PI3K Class I or III pathways are inhibited. Finally I present data leading to the discovery of novel in vivo substrates of SGK3 (and Akt) such as PanK4. Most importantly I identify the first physiological substrate unique to SGK3, the endosomal SNARE protein, Syntaxin 12 that is not phosphorylated by Akt. This finding represents the first, non-Akt related function of SGK3 at the endosomes and further explains why SGK3 requires regulation by two distinct classes of PI3K.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a dominant human neuromuscular disorder caused by a CTG repeat expansion at the 3' end of the DMPK gene. Pathogenesis of DM1 is linked to a toxic gain of function due to mutant RNA and is manifested by nuclear retention of expanded CUG repeats and aberrant splicing. The development of an inducible model for DM1 with uninterrupted CTG repeats could help us to better understand early pathogenic changes in DM1 due to CUG repeat expansion. In the first part of this thesis, I report an inducible C2C12 mouse myoblast cell line in which the pTetOne inducible system was used to express 174 CTG repeats. This resulted in the production of RNA foci in 26% of cells. Efforts to make larger un-interrupted CTG repeats were unsuccessful due to their instability in the E.coli plasmid. In the second part of the thesis, I used the CRISPR/Cas9-induced genome-editing technique to knock-in an inducible promoter into the endogenous DMPK gene in a DM1 fibroblast cell line. For this, I employed two different CRISPR/Cas9 based strategies which exploit homology-directed repair (HDR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Our results suggest that CRISPR/Cas9 induced knock-in is enabled by non-homologous end joining more efficiently as compared to homology-directed repair. In the last part of the thesis, TruSeq RNA Sequencing was used to quantify the number of mutant DMPK transcripts and other molecular markers of DM1 pathogenesis that could be a valuable tool for the evaluation of the efficacy of therapeutic compounds. The sequencing results reveal the significant low abundance of mutant DMPK transcripts in the cytoplasmic fraction of DM1 lines and confirm the previously reported nuclear retention of mutant DMPK transcripts. We identify six potential genes which are dysregulated in DM1 fibroblasts and the absolute quantification of mutant DMPK transcripts along with these six reported dysregulated genes can be suitable biomarkers for disease severity and therapeutic response in DM1 fibroblasts. Additionally, these assays could be further refined to provide valuable tools to assess therapeutic compounds.

Freeze-drying is an energy demanding operation involving dehydration through sublimation of ice crystals. It has important application in the production of high quality dried food such as instant coffee. Correlating the operating conditions with product attributes is essential to design processes that are energy efficient whilst producing product of desired characteristics. In this study, microstructure development and evaluation for gum arabic and coffee solutions during freeze-drying have been considered. Freeze-drying processes were carried by varying the material’s concentration (20-60% w/w) and properties as well as freezing and primary drying conditions. Microstructural evaluation and reconstitution behaviour of freeze-dried solids were assessed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography and high resolution camera. Initially, water crystallization was studied under temperature oscillation, slow, fast and unidirectional freezing where large crystal dendrites developed on fluctuating temperature and different freezing rates produced comparable crystal network. At reduced water content, smaller crystals developed and distinct orientation of crystal growth was visible. Meanwhile, at increasing primary drying temperature and concentration, the freeze- dried systems showed extensive structure expansion. The potential of aeration to assist freeze-drying of high solid solutions is demonstrated by improved structure uniformity and porosity. Reconstitution of the freeze-dried solids was influenced by the microstructure generated and physical mechanisms involved during dissolution. High porosity and presence of large pores enable rapid dissolution of the dried solids. Different dissolution mechanisms between gum arabic and coffee had strong impact on the kinetics of dissolution. The concept of process-microstructure-property relationship is thus very clear in this study.

The purpose of this thesis is to ethnographically explore the social life of health reform policy. This thesis focuses on the Ponce Center, a safety net HIV clinic in Atlanta. The thesis engages with a fragmented healthcare world, and the inhabitants of these worlds who are charged with rectifying the fragmentation and make care possible. They are, in technical language, service providers, whether they are policy-makers, patients, or political activists. In order to make the healthcare and policy worlds functional, the AIDS community in Atlanta perceive their first task as attempting to connect aspects of the fragmented healthcare assemblage that are otherwise disparate. The core theme of this thesis is articulations, translations, and piecing together aspects of everyday life particularly with regard to various ways of contending with fragmentation. This thesis explores the relationship between the affective, ideological, physical and structural dynamics of inequality, poverty, vulnerability, identity, and a sense of community and belonging. This thesis is about the policy processes. It does not focus on policy-making, but policy interpretation, implementation, and enactment in Atlanta, Georgia. The thesis tracks the appropriation and contestation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a site of interaction between the experience of HIV as a pre-existing condition, inequitable access to treatment through health insurance, and larger social policy and poverty discourses. Finally, it considers the processes by which major policy reforms draw in disparate actors, who are embedded in complex networks of power and resource relations - assemblages - and inevitably play a role in reshaping society.

Systematic Literature Review: The loss of a patient to suicide is an occupational hazard for clinicians. This critical interpretive meta-synthesis provides a conceptual overview of the ways medical and nursing professionals can experience patient suicide. A systematic search of electronic databases identified seven papers. Constructs elicited via reciprocal translation analysis comprised four inter-related themes: (1) Intrinsic but taboo: patient suicide perceived as inevitable yet difficult to talk about. (2) Significant emotional impact: clinicians deeply affected, with resilience important for mitigating impact. (3) Failure and accountability: intense self-scrutiny, guilt and shame with differing attributions of blame across professional cultures. (4) Legacy of patient suicide: opportunities for growth but a lack of formal postvention guidance. Further research is directed at evaluating postvention procedures to inform effective guidance and support for clinicians after patient suicide. Research Project: Diminished resources and increasing demands in the NHS have contributed to heightened workplace distress among UK psychologists. Consequently, interest in personal resources (i.e. resiliency) has grown. Using the Job Demands-Resources model, this study explored the role of psychologists' personal resources in explaining burnout and work engagement through their interactions with various job characteristics. Using validated measures, cross-sectional data from 422 psychologists assessed three job demands (workload, psychological demands, work-self conflict); three job resources (autonomy, colleague support, work feedback); three personal resources (self-efficacy, proactive behaviour, reflective behaviour); burnout; and work engagement. Hierarchical multiple regressions with moderation analyses revealed that: (1) job demands and job resources were the most important predictors of burnout and engagement, respectively. (2) Overall, personal resources did not interact with these relationships. Employers are directed to balance job demands and job resources to reduce burnout and enhance work engagement, rather than overstate the benefits of personal resources alone. Critical Appraisal: A reflective account of the author's research journey throughout this thesis is provided.

The regime change of 2003 transformed the media environment in Iraq from one that was strictly limited and monopolised by the state, to one without any restrictions imposed by state agencies. Gender culture and ‘family values’ have especially been contested as a consequence of the transformation of access to the media. The common assumption is that sexualised media content, and also the increasingly privatised nature of media technologies, are contributing towards the transformation of gender culture, with worries that Iraqi women in particular are turning into Western women and becoming estranged from their genuine Iraqi identity. The aim of this research is to investigate the nature of the evolving relationship between media and gender culture in post-Saddam Iraq. The importance of this investigation lies in the fact that since 2003, most research on Iraq has focused on war. This is also true of studies on gender relations. This research, however, focuses on other developments that happened as a result of the regime change, paving the way for struggles over many issues, including gender culture and Iraqi identity. The project was carried out using the qualitative method of semi-structured interviews. The interviews were carried out in Baghdad and Erbil, giving a perspective of the urban middle class Iraqi Arabs and Kurds on the subject. The research demonstrates that although the media provides windows for Iraqi women to distance themselves from prevalent patriarchal rules that control their sexuality, the ‘realities’ of local life have not allowed for the ‘Westernisation’ of gender relations in post-Saddam Iraq. Since the media is viewed as a threat to the sexual honour, an important element of Iraqi gender culture, there is a tendency to reassert this notion in the processes of the redefinition of the cultural identity of Iraqi people that was triggered by the 2003 war. This thesis offers new insights into gender relations in post-Saddam Iraq, focussing especially on the update on media in this period, and how this relates to the constitution of Iraqi identity and gender relations in families. It also offers a re-working of the concept of ‘honour’; one that embeds this into an analysis of Iraq’s hegemonic masculine system.

Full-duplex (FD) communication is considered to be a promising technology to address the problem of radio spectrum congestion due to the increasing demand for wireless communication services. This thesis investigates the problem of asymmetric data flow between downlink and uplink in a system with symmetric radio resource allocation, i.e. FD. The aim is to devise a model by exploiting the coupling nature of FD downlink and uplink transmission powers to maximise the downlink data rate while ensuring the quality of service (QoS) of uplink transmission. Whilst the aim is to maximise the spectrum efficiency gain that can be achieved with FD enabled cellular networks, this thesis presents D-MAC: a novel distributed MAC protocol. D-MAC allows interfering nodes to cooperate and implement an interuser interference estimation mechanism to gather the interference information with minimum overhead. Furthermore, D-MAC includes interference aware joint user equipment (UE) scheduling and power allocation methods. Computing the optimal resource allocation and transmission rates is non-linear, non-convex combinatorial optimisation and achieving a globally optimal solution is not possible in practice. Therefore, D-MAC uses a low complexity iterative approach for resource allocation and ensures that channel bandwidth is shared fairly across all UEs. Finally, a detailed evaluation of D-MAC performance is presented and compared to the half-duplex (HD) system, FD system with round robin and FD system with exhaustive search. It is shown that the D-MAC achieves as much as 62% throughput improvement compared to an HD system with symmetric traffic model and 49% with asymmetric traffic model in an outdoor multi-cell scenario under the limits of practical self-interference cancellation. Further, D-MAC also reduces the round-trip propagation delay, involved from the point at which the UE sends the request to the base station to the point at which the UE realize the result of contention.

This thesis is comprised of a literature review, a research paper and a critical appraisal of theresearch process. A meta-synthesis methodology was used for the literature review in order to identify and synthesise 29 studies exploring the experiences of individuals living with limb loss. Four themes emerged which offered an understanding of how individuals with limb loss experience and cope with appearance related stigma. These were: 'The need for social connection versus independence', 'Identity formation: renegotiating self', 'Concealing and/or avoiding', and 'Internal resilience: new ways of thinking and relating'. The themes capture the way individuals navigate stigma experiences, make sense of difference and establish control. The review offers implications for future research and offers recommendations for the provision of psychological input on a systemic, individual and institutional level. The research paper investigated prosthetist communication style in predicting psychosocial adjustment across three outcome measures. A cross sectional design was utilised in order investigate service user satisfaction with their prosthetists' communication style, in order to establish whether this demonstrated significant predictive value in prosthesis related adjustment outcomes above that consistently demonstrated by other predictors. Results were interpreted using hierarchical regression analysis. One significant finding revealed that service user satisfaction with prosthetist communication style in consultations demonstrated significant predictive value above other predictors in explaining prosthesis satisfaction, particularly functional and aesthetic components to the prosthesis. Furthermore, service user satisfaction with consultation emerged as a significant independent predictor. The findings have implications for theory, clinical practice and future research in this field. Specifically, theoretical considerations of adjustment, introduction of staff training in communication and suggestions relating to more specific policy guidance in relation to prosthetic consultation are offered.

Though research on male body image has advanced significantly since the 1980s (Grogan, 2016), most contemporary research on male body image has included younger male samples, with little attention paid to the body image of middle-aged and older-aged men (Drummond, 2003; Leichty, Ribeiro, Svienson and Dahlstrom, 2014; McCabe and Ricciardelli, 2004; Slevin and Linneman, 2010). Accordingly, it has been difficult for researchers to draw conclusions about how male body image develops beyond the young adult phase (McCabe and Ricciardelli, 2004). Given that body dissatisfaction has been linked with adverse psychological and behavioural consequences (Grogan, 2016), it is imperative that knowledge regarding male body image across the lifespan is sought, and that age-appropriate interventions are developed for boys and men across different ages (if required). The overall aim of the current PhD was to gain insights into the way men think, feel and behave regarding their bodies at various points in their lives. To achieve this aim, the current study employed a range of data gathering methods, including in-depth interviews, online-questionnaires and focus groups. From an examination of the findings of the overall thesis, body image unawareness in preadolescence, awareness in adolescence, body appreciation across the lifespan and body function across the lifespan appeared to be the strongest themes across the different studies. Additionally, adolescence was established as the most vulnerable developmental stage for which a hypothetical positive body image promotion programme was also developed. A key strength of this PhD is that it generated important knowledge regarding the body image of middle-aged and older men, as well as provided a lifespan perspective of men's body image which in the past has only extended as far as reporting the body image of young adult men.

In this thesis, a mixed continuous and discontinuous Galerkin finite element method is developed for the three-dimensional quasi-geostrophic equations, and is used to investigate the role that weather front formation plays in the transfer of energy to small scales that would produce a k. 5=3 energy spectrum as observed in the atmosphere. The quasi-geostrophic equations are used for computational efficiency and are found to be sufficient for producing simple fronts. Discontinuous Galerkin finite elements are used for the potential vorticity as continuous Galerkin methods perform poorly with advection dominated problems. The less dynamical vertical direction is discretised with finite difference to simplify the finite element method in the horizontal. Streamfunction boundary values are derived for free-slip boundary conditions in the three-dimensional model. The scheme is verified with numerical tests and is shown to converge at optimal rates until free-slip boundaries are introduced. Conservation of energy and enstrophy are shown numerically. Using the numerical method, a channel model simulation suggests that the bend up of fronts produced by a meandering zonal jet could be a viable mechanism for producing a k.5=3 regime.

Painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC) is an under-researched urological disorder, and thus, is poorly understood, diagnosed, and managed. This project was designed to elucidate the role of mast cells (MCs) and basophils in PBS/IC, identify any difference in the distribution of MC subtypes (MCT and MCTC), and assess the potential of honey as a treatment for PBS/IC. The study was successful in that it identified a difference in the distribution of MCs within the bladder wall, and a difference in distribution of MC subtypes, in comparison to controls. Novel findings from this study included the discovery that a particularly high presence of MCTC in the mucosa may be linked to the presence of ulcers, and thus, identified the patients that may have had the Hunner’s Ulcer PBS/IC subtype. It was also found that some patients had a higher amount of MCTC in the lamina propria (p<0.001), and this may identify those patients that were also suffering from fibrotic bladder. Immunohistochemistry findings confirmed detrusor mastocytosis in PBS/IC bladder (p<0.001), compared to controls. Basophils were not found in PBS/IC bladder tissues. It was also discovered that honey does not bind histamine, and so is stabilising MCs at a molecular level. Histamine release was decreased in explants that had been incubated in 5% or 10% honey, and tissues showed signs of apoptosis in concentrations above 20%. After further validation, findings could be used to develop much-needed comprehensive diagnostic criteria for the successful identification of different subgroups of PBS/IC sufferers, and for the development of tailored therapeutic options, that would consequently be more effective for the patient. The development of a honey-based intravesical agent, that has the potential to treat the histamine-related inflammation seen in PBS/IC, and other difficult to treat inflammatory disorders, is a promising and exciting future direction for this study.

This thesis examines the emergent role of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) in delivering organisational accountability of the Police Service of Scotland, following reform in 2012. The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 amalgamated the eight local police forces into a single force, ‘Police Scotland’, and replaced the concomitant local police authorities, responsible for maintaining and governing those forces, into a national governing body: the SPA. The study draws on a broad range of qualitative data that includes official policy documents, selected minutes of public meetings held by the Justice Committee, and the SPA, inspection reports by HMICS and Audit Scotland, and interviews with a cross-section of stakeholders including a former Minister, senior police officers, members of the SPA, and MSPs. This study chronicles the inception and early development of the SPA, and critically assesses the SPA’s emergent accountability processes in relation to the perennial problems of police governance. Firstly, the doctrine of operational independence of chief constables, rooted in the traditional, and to-date “sacrosanct”, notion of constabulary independence (Reiner, 2013: 169), makes organisational accountability of the police a complicated and contested matter (Lustgarten, 1986; Walker, 2000; Donnelly and Scott, 2002a; Jones, 2008; Reiner, 2010). Secondly, there is a perpetual debate about whether the governance of police should be situated within local government structures, or delivered through central government. There is consensus among policing scholars that the persistent trend towards greater centralisation, coupled with the operational independence doctrine, curtailed the performance of the local police boards and their ability to hold chief constables to account (Walker, 2000; Donnelly and Scott, 2002a; Scott, 2011; Reiner, 2013). Amidst the tussle between central and local political actors for democratic control of the police, the recent policy discourse in Scotland, that led to the reforms and the creation of the SPA, has highlighted that the governance of the police requires expertise, skills and capacities, which the previous local police authorities lacked (Tomkins, 2009; Laing and Fossey, 2011). In light of the persistent difficulties of democratic governance, and the creation of the SPA as an expert body, the study presents an original conceptual framework outlining an ‘epistocratic and deliberative’ approach to police governance. The framework seeks to reconcile democracy and expertise and offers a prescriptive solution to resolve the underlying problems of police governance. The study applies the notion of epistocracy or knowledge-based rule (Estlund, 2003, 2008) to the role of experts in institutional settings (Holst, 2012; Holst and Mollander, 2014). Conceiving the SPA as an institutional epistocracy, it is argued that such an arrangement needs to be underpinned by the right Composition, and that it needs Power, and Autonomy in order to function effectively and independently. It is further argued that principles of Deliberation, including reasoning and justification, can further strengthen epistocratic governance arrangements, as well as providing a crucial democratic dimension. The analysis of the SPA provides a strong empirical basis for the framework. The study shows that while the SPA was created as a professional body of experts, it was unable to resolve the underlying problems of police governance in its first three years. This was due to inadequacies in its composition resulting from insufficient expertise and a lack of training for new board members, differing interpretations of its role and statutory powers, and external pressures and impositions resulting in a lack of autonomy. Looking to recent developments, the study suggests that deliberative principles are now implicit in the SPA’s approach to more proactive scrutiny, which has started to serve to alleviate some shortcomings and problems it encountered in its formative years. However, the study concludes that further strengthening of the SPA’s composition, clarity around its role and powers, greater autonomy, and explicit focus on deliberative principles is needed.

This work focuses on chronic viral infection in populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Although some of these viruses are endemic, there is a paucity of data charac- terising the immune responses in the relevant populations affected. The primary focus of this thesis is cytomegalovirus (CMV). Almost 90% of children in Africa are infected by the age of 12 months. A strong virus-specific immune response controls but does not clear CMV infection, and CMV typically remains latent; how- ever, reactivation is possible, particularly in the context of HIV infection and other states of immunosuppression. The high-frequency, immunodominant CD8+ T-cell responses, the CMV epitopes targeted, and the T-cell receptor repertoires underly- ing these responses have not previously been well defined in African populations. Furthermore, it is not known how the T-cell repertoire changes over the course of infection in response to CMV. To gain a better understanding of these aspects of CMV infection and immunity, I defined the immunodominant CMV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses within a cohort of sub-Saharan African study subjects (Chapter 3). Using next-generation sequencing of the CMV-specific CD8+ T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, focusing on a single immunodominant HLA-B*44:03-restricted response, I studied TCR repertoire bias (Chapter 4) and the changes in the TCR repertoire within children and adults followed longitudinally over 10 years (Chapter 5). Two other viruses, human Parvovirus 4 (PARV4) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) are also endemic in these populations, may, like CMV, also be of particular signifi- cance in the setting of HIV co-infection, but are under-represented in the literature for Africa. I present data that I contributed to projects setting out to improve our understanding of the local epidemiology of these infections and to characterise relevant CD8+ T-cell responses (Chapter 6). Together, this work contributes to- wards a better understanding of immune responses that control chronic infections prevalent in African populations.

Serological discrepancies in matching blood group antigens between donors and patients for blood transfusion may lead to alloimmunisation, especially in multiply transfused patients. Blood group genotyping (BGG) has contributed in reducing this issue. ABO, Fy and Jk antigens are among those to be causative for alloimmunisation through transfusion or pregnancy. The number of alleles of these clinically significant blood groups is ever increasing. Currently, all commercially available high-throughput BGG platforms are only based on pre-defined polymorphisms. Consequently, novel or rare alleles that might have clinical significance are not identified. Next generation sequencing (NGS) circumvents this issue by providing high-throughput comprehensive genotyping of blood group genes in discovery mode to find all existing and novel mutations. Accordingly, a large number of individuals can be genotyped in a single run. Here, we describe an NGS-based method coupled with long-range polymerase chain reaction (LR-PCR) for high-throughput, rapid and extensive genotyping of FY, JK and ABO blood group genes. The Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGMTM) was used for sequencing the entire FY, JK and ABO blood group genes including flanking regions. Accordingly, high resolution genotyping was obtained. 53 genomic DNA samples were sequenced and genotyped for FY, 67 for JK and 47 for ABO. Sequencing data were aligned to the gene reference sequence derived from the human genome (hg19) to analyse variants. Analysis was accomplished by software packages, such as Ion Torrent SuiteTM plugins. Sanger sequencing of cDNA and cDNA clones was used to confirm findings in the JK gene. The sequencing data had a coverage depth of more than 5000x for FY, 700x for JK and 600x for ABO. NGS data matched with the serological phenotypes of FY alleles FY*A, FY*B and FY*02 Null main polymorphisms, such as FY*A/FY*B (125G > A) in exon 2 and (-67 T > C) in the promotor region. JK variant analysis revealed that the JK*01W.01 allele (130G > A) is common (10/67 samples) with normal antigenicity. The previously described silencing polymorphism (810G > A), leading to a purported JK*B null allele, restores a splice site and does not correlate with loss of Jkb antigenicity (10/67 samples). JK intron analysis revealed several new JK alleles described in this thesis. All 7 exons, introns and the flanking regions of the ABO gene were covered by only four amplicons. Several rare O alleles were found, such as O73 and O75, while one suggested novel O allele was characterised by a missense SNP 482G > A (Arg161His) in exon 7. The ABO reference sequence from hg19 appeared to resemble (O01 and O02) alleles. The intronic SNPs might be used to distinguish between alleles more accurately as a correlation of the intronic SNPs with the alleles was noted for the homozygous O alleles. It is predicted that NGS-based genotyping will replace not only microarray-based genotyping but also serology in the blood group typing of individuals, with great advancements in technology and molecular knowledge being expected in the near future.

From a theoretical perspective, Islamic banking and finance is different from conventional banking and finance because interest (riba) is prohibited in Islam. The unique feature of Islamic banking and finance is its profit-and-loss sharing (PLS) paradigm. As such, the equity stock market mechanism follows this unique PLS paradigm without the involvement of riba, gharar and maysir, allowing Shari’a sensitive investors’ access to the stock market. But the problem is to identify the Shari’a compliant equity stocks (that are both Shari’a compliant in the capital structure as well as the underlying business) within the equity stock market. In order to assist the Shari’a sensitive investors, the Dow Jones Islamic Market Index (DJIMI) for the first time in history issued the first Shari’a screening methodology in 1999 that facilitated access to the stock market. Subsequently, a number of other Shari’a screening methodologies have been developed by other index providers, banks and regulators; all of them are derivatives of the DJIMI. The rules used in the screening process have not originated from the Holy Quran or the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and accordingly are not considered absolute rules. These screening methodologies have been criticised in the literature for being imprecise, inconsistent, lacking credibility and on the use of Shari’a screening thresholds restricting the Shari’a non-compliant activities. The study is designed to address two main areas: 1) to examine the historical development of Shari’a screening methodologies to date, and 2) to investigate how the existing Shari’a screening methodologies can be enhanced for the benefit of the Islamic banking and finance (IBF) industry. A qualitative analysis is carried out in the first part of the study. A statistical technique of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is carried out in the second part of the study. The examination of the first part of the study shows that the fundamental variables underlying existing screening methodologies should be based on actual interest income and interest expense as it’s the actual interest received or paid that is Shari’a non-compliant instead of on the basis of source of funds (debt, receivables). This part of the study also finds that the Shari’a screening methodologies were introduced as a need of the time under Maslahah (public interest and rule of exception). It was expected that scholars and practitioners would review and revise the screening methodologies over time to ensure adherence to Shari’a. However, they have remained the same while the Islamic banking and finance industry has developed significantly. Further examination of current practices, suggested Shari’a screening thresholds to be dynamic and ones based on the growth and development in Islamic banking and finance. Based on findings of the first part, the study conducted an exploratory analysis in the second part using different portfolios and screened them based on interest income and interest expense and compared with existing practices. It is recommended that Shari'a screening methodologies incorporate these screening filters in addition to the existing filters to ensure that the portfolio remains Shari'a compliant. Further, the study in the second part developed an IBF index using exploratory factor analysis to quantify the development in IBF industry in 41 countries. These countries were placed in five groups (leaders, developed countries, developing countries, emerging markets and least developed countries) and it was concluded that Shari’a screening thresholds for countries based in groups “leaders” and “developed countries” can be lowered to 20% and 25% respectively as the IBF industry in the underlying countries have developed significantly and there are sufficient Shari’a compliant stocks to provide the investor a diversified portfolio, while for other countries the existing thresholds should continue as the IBF industry in the country is still in early growth period and Islamic financing availability in the country is not adequate. In this way, the Shari’a compliant equity investments can go forward in a more effective manner and thus a move towards more dynamic and progressive screening methodologies, rather than the existing static ones.

Billions of dollars are spent by government organizations to accomplish their mission. Organizations are faced with the increased growth of complex software systems to handle higher velocity, volume, and variety of data captured at higher speeds to achieve mission goals. Software and hardware evolution continue to drive challenges in modifying legacy systems towards dependability and autonomy while forcing a change in software developers verification and validation approaches from traditional acquisition development methodology (waterfall, "V," incremental, etc.) to agile and DevOps. At the same time, government organizations are wrestling with a tremendous technical change in the acquisition lifecycle process as they adopt Open System Architectures to meet the surge in cross-team interoperability while balancing budgetary constraints as they move towards a modernization strategy. A significant concern is the development of learning mechanisms to preserve organizational and programmatic knowledge, in the face of a transitory workforce, to improve information sharing as the organization undergoes enterprise evolution. For over a decade, the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Systems Engineering Division repeatedly recommended the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and other government organizations integrate systems engineering (SE) and collaborative methods and tools throughout system acquisitions to better manage risk. A common theme reported in the findings is that insufficient understanding of both the individual and System-of-System (SoS) interdependency of product, process, and people/organizational environments affect information sharing. A similar note is taken in GAO-0615, GAO-09-1011T, and GAO-12-1022 to highlight the lack of interagency collaboration mechanisms. This praxis assesses cross-organizational links among three Elements of an acquisition organization using Social Network Analysis (SNA) to gain insight into their heuristic relationships and examines the human factors impacting process integration and collaboration in the "as-is" network. A Knowledge Management System (KMS) is introduced in a "to-be" network to investigate the probability of improving information sharing between three Elements in the network. The KMS is developed using ten criteria and five sub-criteria based on insight from literature reviews and substantiated by experts from the three Element and industry leaders. An Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model aggregates the expert judgments to analyze the probability of implementing the KMS. An outline of a web-based knowledge portal leveraging the integration of current disparate tools into a "total system" approach to enable knowledge capture and information distribution is shown in Appendix 3. The primary objective for implementing a KMS is to allow seamless communication between teams allowing Communities of Practice (CoP) and management to observe and analyze the enterprise in a holistic manner to manage interdependencies with fact-based data integrated into metrics to make insightful decisions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This thesis examines the viability of impact sourcing in commercial outsourcing arrangements. Impact sourcing is an outsourcing practice that has the potential to create social value by providing outsourcing jobs to marginalised individuals who have limited opportunities to work. This thesis focuses, in particular, on exploring management and impact assessment aspects of impact sourcing at institutional, organisational, and individual levels of analysis. In doing so, the thesis borrows concepts from management and development studies, making it a multidisciplinary study. The research draws on concepts of competing institutional logics to investigate how the social and commercial orientation of impact sourcing can be managed by outsourcing organisations. Furthermore, it uses the concepts of institutional logics and corporate social strategy to understand how the challenges of local institutional contexts influence the implementation of impact sourcing and how outsourcing organisations could manage these challenges to ensure that the social and economic value creation objectives of impact sourcing can remain intact. The thesis also focuses on impact assessment of impact sourcing to evaluate the social welfare impact on outsourcing employees by applying the Capability Approach concept from development studies and corporate social performance (CSP) concepts from the management literature. The research adopts an interpretive single case study of a US-based publicly listed outsourcing organisation providing healthcare IT and BPO services to the US healthcare industry from its two offshore-outsourcing centres in Pakistan. The case study organisation practises impact sourcing through one of its offshore-outsourcing centre in the small, earthquake affected district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. The findings are reported in three empirical articles. The key theoretical contribution of this research to the study of impact sourcing is threefold. First, the global outsourcing organisations practising impact sourcing are complex in nature because of various actors located at different locations having different social and economic interests. Thus, the outsourcing organisation needs to adopt a 'collective response strategy' to satisfy the competing demands of the social and commercial orientations of impact sourcing. Second, commercial outsourcing organisations require additional investment of resources and culturally sensitive management practices to implement impact sourcing in marginalised communities. These are required not only to create social value through impact sourcing, but also to remain commercially viable, as both social and economic value creation components are interlinked. Third, the most novel contribution of the research is to propose a model to assess the impact of impact sourcing by incorporating both organisational and employee perspectives to evaluate the social welfare outcomes for the employees. This thesis offers significant contributions to the study of institutional logics. It illustrates that competing logics may not be uniform across all sub-units of global organisations; there may be enclaves where different logics influence at different intensities. The thesis identifies that institutional orders in society are intertwined; the institutional logic derived from an institutional order may be influenced by other institutional orders existing in the society. The research also contributes to the study of CSP by focusing on people and society in its outcome measurement.