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This PhD is a practice-based study of how the computer functions in art practice, which takes on the notion of a fine art computing “medium”. Current research, while sometimes referencing the computer as a potential art medium, mostly defines it non-explicitly as a type of “hybrid” media device or some sort of “multimedia” machine. These terms leave the existence of a specific computing medium in art practice undefined and have historically led the analysis of artworks that employ computers to rely on critical frameworks that were either developed for earlier physical media, or have no structural similarities to computers. Such approaches can fail to examine unique ontological issues that arise - especially at a structural level - when using a computer to produce art. To achieve a formal description of a hitherto loosely defined (or non-defined) art medium, the research employs a range of critical and theoretical material from fields outside art practice, chiefly among them Alan Turing’s definition of a "a(utomatic)-machine", (nowadays called a “Turing machine”) from his 1936 paper "On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem". Turing described a machine which can “simulate” any other computing machine including all modern computers. His machine is here used to propose a ‘Turing-complete medium’ of art, of which every computer is a computationally equivalent member. Using this perspective/definition, the research undertook an investigation of a ‘Turing-complete medium’ by developing creative practice in the form of individual works that explored specific aspects of computing systems. The research then engaged in a written analysis of the practice, again employing the concept of a ‘Turing-complete medium’, working towards the development of medium-specific critique of any art made with any computer. In foregrounding the nature and functions of computing machines, the research explores how these elements can be made intrinsic to our interpretations of computer-based art while also being aware of the limitations of medium-specific critique as exposed within the modernist tradition.

Cardiopulmonary bypass is known to cause great changes in a patient's physiological fluid homeostasis which frequently results in fluid accumulation in the interstitial space (edema). The associated inflammatory response can, in severe cases, result in systemic immune response syndrome, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and organ failure. Modified Ultrafiltration (MUF) involves pumping blood through a haemofilter post-bypass to remove excess plasma, and has been shown to successfully moderate haemodilution and the inflammatory response and improve clinical outcomes in paediatric patients for whom edema is a serious morbidity. In this research project, the current MUF technique is combined with a new superabsorber based haemofiltration technology to develop a novel haemofiltration device. Design concepts were researched and the optimal device configuration was determined. Laboratory testing with bovine blood, computational modelling of blood flow and scanning electron microscope imaging of the control membrane highlighted the importance of both utilising flow disruption techniques to limit fouling, and controlling the swelling behaviour of the superabsorber material, in achieving rapid haemofiltration. The device is able to achieve passive, chemically driven haemofiltration at a fixed blood flow rate and is designed such that it requires minimal input from clinical staff to be suitable for deployment in a clinical setting. The haemoconcentration time is close to current MUF procedures but with further refinement of the system, equalling the MUF time for current procedures is certainly achievable. The blood haemoconcentrated by the device was of good quality with no significant change in cell counts, cell morphology measures, or haemoglobin level measures after 60mins of MUF indicating little to no impact upon the blood constituents or haemolysis induced by the device. The device did not demonstrate selective removal of pro-inflammatory mediators but similarly there was no increase in pro-inflammatory mediator concentrations observed. Further investigation of the inflammatory mediator impact is recommended.

This thesis is written as a collection of research papers through which the role of emotional expression in performance and health was examined. Chapter 1 reviews specific research literature related to emotional expression in performance and health, and outlines the avenues of research investigated within the thesis. Chapter 2 contains three experimental studies that explored the influence of the emotions of happiness, hope and anger on acute cognitive and physical performance. The results of Experiment 1 revealed that anger enhanced physical performance, but cognitive performance was not enhanced by happiness or anger. Experiment 2 examined the role of effort in the emotion-performance relationship and found that hope and anger were related to increased investment of effort on the cognitive task; however only hope was associated with improvements in reaction times. Experiment 3 investigated the moderating influence of personality on the anger-physical performance relationship. In a replication of the physical task used in Experiment 1, extraverts' anger-derived performance gains were found to be greater than those of introverts'. Chapter 3 extended the findings of Chapter 2 by examining the role of anger-related individual differences and physiological reactivity as potential moderators of the anger-performance relationship. The results revealed that trait anger and the anger coping style of anger-out were associated with anger-derived performance enhancement. The anger coping style of anger-in was found to negatively influence the trait anger-performance relationship. Further, anger was associated with increased physiological arousal as increased salivary alpha-amylase was associated with anger; however, physiological reactivity was not related to anger-derived performance enhancement. Chapter 4 describes a six-month intervention-based study that examined a number of theoretical models that have been proposed to explain the mechanisms that underpin the beneficial effects of written emotional disclosure in fibromyalgia. The theoretical models of inhibition and exposure were found to have no association with specific health outcome variables. However, the theoretical model of cognitive adaptation was associated with improved health on a number of the outcome measures assessing the central features of fibromyalgia (i.e. , physical impairment, pain, and stiffness). Chapter 5 discusses the findings arising from the research chapters, presents the central theoretical and applied implications, identifies the strengths and limitations of the research programme, and provides suggestions for future research.

This thesis provides a comprehensive and distinctive analysis of the Anglo-Irish agrarian novel. It argues that these novels constitute a significant sub-genre within Irish Studies - albeit one that has been neglected and perhaps misconstrued. The thesis is divided into three main parts, each reflecting different literary and political approaches to the Irish Land Question. All contribute to an understanding of the opportunities and problems facing authors who together created a tradition covering almost the entire nineteenth century. The thesis seeks to establish a canon consisting of eight agrarian novelists and upwards of sixteen novels. Of necessity, this canon is interrogated primarily in ideological rather than in stylistic terms. The scope is deliberately broad. Instead of focussing on minute deconstruction of the textual dynamics of a single work, the thesis explores the wider connections and complex correspondences among a substantial group of writers. Though flawed, their joint contribution to the debate on the Land Question was significant and provides valuable historical and literary insights. There have been those who minimize its significance but this thesis maintains that the Anglo-Irish agrarian novel is a genuine literary terrain that deserves proper exploration. It takes an interdisciplinary approach to the task of mapping the territory of the agrarian novel and incorporates elements of cultural materialist methodology. This is clearly evidenced in Chapter One - which partly places the sub-genre within the context of other areas in Europe that were contested in terms of land, religion or culture. The first section explores the impact of Maria Edgeworth, the first writer to present the central issues of the Land Question in prose fiction; she was also the first to offer a blueprint for a solution. The thesis seeks to demonstrate that it was Edgeworth's agenda that dominated Anglo-Irish fiction before the Famine and continued to exert a powerful influence during the remainder of the century. Gerald Griffin and the Banim brothers, the first Catholic agrarian novelists, sought to bring new dimensions to Edgeworth's essentially landowner-orientated agenda. Yet their attempts to broaden it and to make it more Irish encountered difficulties. Their desire to radicalize Edgeworth's analysis was frustrated by a loss of faith in the tenantry and arguably by an inability to use the conventional format of the three-volume novel to portray the political realities they perceived. William Carleton was the most successful agrarian novelist after Edgeworth but, despite his more flexible representation of the Land Question - involving what some critics regarded as apostasy - Carleton still remained a prisoner of Edgeworth's agenda. Significantly, all the writers discussed in this section eventually abandoned their attempts to solve the Land Question through the medium of prose fiction and turned to other areas of interest. The second section begins by examining the culturally lean years that followed the Famine. It shows that the political and literary famine was broken first by the emergence of Fenianism and then by its literary portrayal in the works of Charles Kickham and indeed in those of his apparent polar opposite - the honorary Irishman Anthony Trollope. Despite their differences however, neither Kickham nor Trollope believed that the solution to the Land Question could be found within Ireland. Rather, they looked overseas - to America (Kickham) or to England (Trollope). Regardless of their wider horizons and distinctive contributions, the solutions proposed by Kickham and Trollope proved at least as confused and contradictory as those suggested by the authors examined in the first section. The third section focuses on Thomas Moore and Bram Stoker. Earlier identification of the problems encountered by those who sought a solution to the Land Question in the context of realist literary forms raises the possibility of an alternative approach - that of fantasy. This is a common feature of Moore and Stoker's work. While Moore's book predates all the authors apart from Edgeworth, the unique, fantasy quality of his Memoirs of Captain Rock (1824), separates him from the more or less rational worlds of Edgeworth and of those who, like her, at least glimpsed a solution. Thus we must look to Moore to discover the origins of the only other work in the canon that challengeso r even surpassesE dgeworth's preeminence - Stoker's Dracula (1897). Superficially, Stoker merely transplants exploration of the Land Question from Ireland to Transylvania, but the novel also deals with issues ignored by other writers. Dracula not only looks to the past but also to the future and forms a bridge between the conventional agrarian novel and the innovative, urbanized, literary forms later pioneered by lames Joyce. This analysis facilitates a new interpretation of the categorization of the Anglo-Irish agrarian novel. The thesis concludes that earlier attempts at categorization, especially the theories of accents proposed by W. B. Yeats, Daniel Corkery and subsequent commentators (chapters I and 9), fail to understand either the most important similarities or the differences between the agrarian novelists. Instead, it proposes a new schema whose format is suggested in the three parts of the thesis described above: namely that the real divisions are between those who follow the tradition of Edgeworth, those who look to foreign solutions and those who privilege the fantastic or surreal.

Evidence shows that an organization will function more effectively if the various components of its human resource management system are aligned and acting in a mutually supportive way (Baird and Meshoulam, 1988; Semler, 1997; Bowen and Ostroff, 2004). According to some authors a competency-based performance management system supports the concept of alignment by defining and rewarding the behaviour that is expected and associated with effective performance (Grote, 2000; Boam and Sparrow, 1992; Richards and Howard, 2004; Hopen, 2004; Mosley and Bryan, 1992). The assumptions underpinning the competency-based approach to performance management have, however, been questioned by a number of other authors, including Burgoyne (1989), Jacobs (1990), Morgan (1997) and Day, (1988). The motivation for this research study resulted from a perceived misalignment between (1) the desired leadership behaviour espoused by the top team members of a major UK multinational organization, (2) the behaviour prescribed in the organization’s leadership competencies, and (3) the behaviour that was rewarded in practice. The study takes an unusual opportunity to conduct an in-depth study of the application of a competency based approach to performance management. In the first of three linked research projects, one-to-one interviews were conducted with the organization’s six top team members using an approach that combined repertory grid and laddering techniques. The aim was firstly, to identify the top team members’ criteria 'in use' for assessing and rewarding leadership behaviour in the context of the organization's decision to utilise a competency-based approach to performance management, and secondly, to test the degree of alignment of these criteria among the top team members. The data revealed a good degree of alignment regarding the competencies required, but a poor degree of alignment on their definitions of the behaviours needed to support those competencies. It was also found that two competencies mentioned by the top team members were missing from the organization’s new formal leadership competencies. In the second project the output of Project 1 was used in a web-based questionnaire that was distributed to the 301 members of the organization’s Global Services Leadership Team (GSLT), whose performance appraisals were based on the leadership competencies. The purpose of Project 2 was firstly, to test the degree of alignment between the GSLT's views of what constituted appropriate behaviour and the views of the top team revealed in Project 1, and secondly, to test the degree of alignment of how the desired behaviours identified by the top team were seen to support the leadership competencies. The results showed a good degree of alignment across the GSLT with the top team views of what constituted appropriate behaviour but a poor degree of alignment of understanding of how those behaviours supported the formal competencies. The results also identified a degree of ambiguity within and between the competencies. In the third and final project I conducted a series of participative feedback sessions with key organizational stakeholders based on the results of Projects 1 and 2. Using principles taken from action research, Project 3 was a joint exploration of the problems identified with the performance management system exposed in Projects 1 and 2. The purpose of Project 3 was to stimulate the organization to make changes to improve the alignment and effectiveness of the performance management system. Project 3 identified that it was deemed unrealistic and inappropriate to try to define a unified set of competencies that could be applied in all contexts and applied to all of the different challenges facing the organization. The principle proposal resulting from this study is the need for a modification to alignment theory. It is proposed that extant competency literature appears to be overly prescriptive and fails to take account of contextual factors and the particular challenges facing individuals. The proposed modification to alignment theory requires the inclusion of the process of dialogue and the need for the active involvement of the leadership team members in facilitating understanding and effecting organizational alignment when applying a competency-based approach to performance management. It is proposed therefore that effective leadership action is critical to the creation of alignment that ultimately leads to more effective performance at the level of the individual, the process and the organization. Suggestions for further research to explore these proposals are made.

Palaeo-ornithology has been dominated by taxonomy. To try and redress the balance and help palaeoecologists interpret fossil birds in a biological and ecological perspective, the taphonomy of birds needs to be fully understood. The taphonomy of birds is concerned with all processes from death to the collection of the fossil bird. Between these two points (the transfer of the organism from the biosphere to the lithosphere) a variety of forces and processes affect the bird/fossil. By means of experiments in the natural environment and in controlled conditions in the laboratory, and subsequent comparisons of the results with case studies of fossil assemblages, the processes leading to preservation can be deduced and the former living community restored on the basis of the fossil evidence. The research involved two main approaches: 1. experimental taphonomy / observational taphonomy; and 2. case histories of fossil communities and their interpretation. Experimental work was carried out in the natural environment. Two field sites were chosen in southern Florida, a freshwater environment and a marine environment. The monitoring and controlling of these experiments required knowledge and techniques in zoology, botany, ecology, sedimentology, limnology, marine biology, microbiology, pathology and forensic science. Results obtained included the effects of scavenging, anoxia, transport, rate of burial, and temperature on rates of decay, the causes of bird mortality, the processes resulting in disarticulation, and the effects of decay upon feathers. Once the experimentaVobservational data had been collected they allowed a series of taphonomic thresholds (a decay sequence) to be defined. These data were then applied to case studies of fossil bird assemblages from different sedimentological environments. The following LagersHitten were investigated: Messel (Eocene, Germany) = restricted lacustrine; Green River (Eocene, USA) = lacustrine; Solnhofen Lithographic Limestone (Jurassic, Germany) = restricted marine; La Meseta Formation (Eocene, Antarctica) = marine; Rancho La Brea (Pleistocene, USA) = terrestrial "trap". The biases in each environment were assessed (e.g. birds in an aquatic ten-estrial environment had a higher preservation potential than birds from a tenestrial environment). The fossil record of birds is not as depauperate as previously thought but is heavily biased, depending on the proximity of the bird's habitat to that of the preserving sedimentary environment. Marine and littoral birds are poorly represented even though they inhabit sedimentary environments with a high preservation potential. This reflects low densities of birds per unit area. Aquatic birds (and terrestrial birds that inhabit the ecotone surrounding freshwater together with some larger fOlIDS from further away) are much better represented. This is because they inhabit the only terrestrial environments with a high preservation potential, coupled with the high densities of individuals per unit area. The bias towards large terrestrial birds is due to their large bones being more resistant to transport induced damage. These results have implications for the understanding of the evolution of birds. Patterns of evolution in birds can not be fully resolved on fossil evidence alone; biases in the taphonomy of birds only permit a small proportion of species from certain environments to be preserved. The taphonomy of feathers was investigated and it was discovered that the "organic trace" that commonly represents the outline of the feather trace is the diagenetically altered glycocalyx of the bacteria that were degrading the feather. In several localities these feather-degrading bactelia are preserved in authigenic minerals. The taphonomy of bats and pterosaurs was also investigated. The similarity of anatomical structures of birds, bats and pterosaurs results in similar taphonomic pathways.

This Project builds upon Lucien Seve's time-based (biographical) approach to personality development. The personality is, he contends, composed of three core elements-need; activity; and capacity. In contemporary social conditions, needs are complex and subordinated to the structure of acts and the growth of capacities. The Hypotheses that flow from this prioritisation are critically appraised here, while the theory in toto is put to the ultimate test of historical inquiry and verification. This historical investigation seeks to explore the development of capacities and the structure of activity (use-time) in the Advanced Capitalist Countries since the mid-19th Century. Contra the deskilling perspective, the interpretation of that history proposed here is a contradictory one: a long term trend to reduced worktimes coupled with secular densification of tasks; a mechanical integration of the collective labourer combining with overt moves to deepen worker segregation; a concomitant polarisation of skills and continuing inequity in access to a growing biographical time fund. The ultimate indifference of the capitalist mode of production to the biographical interests of its supporting individuals prompts, finally, an evaluation of options for a human-centred path of social change for the future (an exploration of concrete Utopias), In this humanist reappropriation of history, the communist vision has been correctly typed as under-defined in crucial ways, including in the field of development of what Marx termed rich individuality. The overall assessment of the Marxian project remains, however, a positive one.

In this investigation in vitro systems were employed to study the biological effects of transfer, metabolism, cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of one PAH, benzo(a)pyrene a known mutagen and carcinogen, in different physical states in association with various particles. The physical forms in which BP was studied were, particulate-adsorbed, microcrystalline and in a dissolved state (in an organic solvent dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) and aqueous buffer (PBSA)). The particles onto which BP was adsorbed were alumina, TiO2 and Fe2O3. The Ames (bacterial mutagenicity) test gave a direct measure of the potential biological response of the particles themselves and associated with BP in its adsorbed and non-adsorbed states. Particulate adsorbed BP produced enhanced mutagenicity compared to BP alone, when dosed in PBSA. Alumina B (the high surface area alumina) produced the greatest mutagenicity. The mutagenic effects of BP in the Ames test required metabolism to epoxides, diols, tetrols and quinones (See Section 1. 8). The extent of this response was reflected by the availability of BP from its various states to the biological systems (microsomes). The physical state on the surface of the particle and the availability of the BP to the microsomal membrane bound enzymes was indicated by measuring the transfer of BP into the microsomes, by the method described by Lakowicz et al (1979), which involved the fluorometric measurements of benzo(a)pyrenes. BP was found to be in both monomeric and exitomer (crystalline) states on the surface of the particles. The alumina B showed a prominent presence of monomeric BP compared to other particles and the greatest transfer rate. The metabolic profile investigation was carried out using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and 14C-radiolabelled BP. Examination of BP’s metabolite profile reflected the effects of the particles on the various states of BP and its availability. Indication of favoured metabolism and inhibition of part of the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system was not seen. The extent of metabolism was indicative of the BP available, which was related to the BP transfer rates. BP coated alumina B was the most extensively metabolised of the BP coated particles. In addition to these subcellular studies, the effects of the particles and BP adsorbed particles were investigated using an established macrophage-like mammalian cell line P388D1 (Dawe & Potter, 1957; Koren, et al 1975), and which has been used as a favourable model of cytotoxicity index, of macrophage function (Daniel et al 1980; Wright et al 1980 and Wade et al 1980) and hence that of possible lung toxicity. A comparison with mice peritoneal macrophages was also made. A parallel assessment of cytotoxicity in a non-phagocytic cell line (CHO and V79) was also performed. The indices of cytotoxicity used were release of Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and lysosomal enzymes (B-Gal, B-Gluc) and percentage of cell survival using Neutral Red and Kenacid Blue; as a result of exposure to particulate and BP associated particles. The limited cytotoxicity was observed with BP coated and uncoated particulates. The addition of a metabolising system (S9) produced cytotoxicity, although this was only a tentative observation as limited testing was performed. To compliment the in vitro work, an in vivo study based on the intratracheal instillation work of Saffiotti et al (1968,1972) and Henry et al (1973) was performed. This involved a single intratracheally instilled dose of ferric oxide particles coated with BP (in a 1:1 proportion) into male Syrian golden hamsters. Through a modification of the organ culture technique of Placke et al (1987), a tritiated thymidine incorporation over a 12hr to 5 day time period, was performed. Although no unscheduled DNA synthesis was detected, large numbers of S-phase cells were seen; the majority being in the trachea, and the BP-Fe2O3 dose having the greatest effect.

The increase in marine traffic has resulted in the need for traffic routing schemes in areas of high vessel density. In order to assess the viability of a scheme before it is brought into use a simulation study can be used. This thesis describes the construction of a computer model to simulate the behaviour of mariners using the concepts of domains and arenas to control their actions. The arena is an area around a ship where one navigator takes account of another ship's presence. The domain is the area around his ship which a navigator wishes to keep clear of other vessels and stationary objects. The model is validated against data gathered in the Dover Strait from the coastguard radar station at St. Margaret's Bay and from experiments conducted in a radar training simulator. The model is shown to produce realistic results for vessels overtaking one another and for vessels meeting with a collision risk 96 per cent of situations can be realistically simulated.

In this media saturated world which is lived in today, the general public is bombarded by a multitude of advertisements. This thesis was conducted to examine Geico's commercial advertising looking specifically at their use of humor. The Elaboration Likelihood Model and the Humorous Message Taxonomy were used to conduct this content analysis. The research examined the route of persuasion and elaboration that were used in 60 Geico commercials from five of their most recent campaigns. The Humorous Message Taxonomy helped to establish which types of humor were being used along with the processes and relationship between elements. Three research questions were addressed the first of which questioned the peripheral or central nature of processing issue relevant arguments in these commercials. It was found that Geico due to their use of humor and emotional appeals preferred peripheral processing in all 60 commercials. The second research question examined the use of the Humorous Message Taxonomy. The humor process that was used the most was incongruity-resolution which was present in all the commercials examined. The humor type of satire involving incongruity-resolution and humorous disparagement was seen the most in 29 of the 60 advertisements. The humor relatedness that was seen predominately in these commercials was found to be semantic relatedness in 52 of the 60 commercials. The last research question analyzed effectiveness based on annual revenue, policyholders, and YouTube views. Geico's revenue increased during the years in which the commercials were aired by 201 million dollars on average. Whereas policyholder decreased by 45,000 on average during those years. The total amount of YouTube views reached 11,236,321 views for all 60 commercials. These results showed some increase but effectiveness was hard to determine due to multiple factors and lack of non-humorous comparisons. Future research will have to be conducted to effectively analyze the actual effectiveness of Geico's advertising.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and it is the predominant pathogen found in patients by adulthood. During the initial stages of infection, isolates are mostly planktonic, express high levels of virulence factors, and can often be eradicated via aggressive antibiotic treatment. However, once chronic infection is established, P. aeruginosa may develop a mucoid phenotype, leading to development of a bacterial biofilm, the emergence of antibiotic resistance, a worsening of symptoms and an increased frequency of pulmonary exacerbations. There is therefore an urgent need for a reliable biomarker of initial P. aeruginosa infection that will allow early intervention/application of antibiotics in CF patients and monitoring of treatment. In the work described here, a potential biomarker of early infection has been identified as elastase, a secreted protease encoded by the lasB structural gene under regulation of the las quorum sensing pathway, which plays a key role in virulence and infection via digestion of a wide range of substrates including collagen and elastin. Development of a rapid point of care diagnostic assay targeting elastase in CF patient samples, such as sputum, may allow for early identification of acute P. aeruginosa infection and thus earlier treatment. A recombinant form of elastase was produced in the E. coli strain BL21*(DE3)pLysS and subsequently purified and characterised to assess its conformational stability and specific activity. This recombinant material was used to immunise rabbits and sheep, and elastase-specific polyclonal antibodies were purified from the resulting antisera. Attempts were made to generate high affinity monoclonal antibody fragments from peripheral blood lymphocytes of the immunised animals via antibody phage display, but were unsuccessful. Prototype sandwich ELISA and lateral flow format immunoassays (LFIAs) were developed incorporating purified polyclonal antibodies, with lower limits of detection of 27 pg/mL (rabbit polyclonal ELISA) and 1 ng/mL (rabbit polyclonal LFIA). Specificity of the assay was assessed via application of culture supernatants from clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and other bacterial strains commonly associated with CF. When the assay was used to analyse CF patient isolates, 29/31 first isolates and 12/17 chronic isolates returned a positive test, whereas 0/20 non Pseudomonas strains returned a positive test, demonstrating the highly specific nature of the assay and its utility as an indicator of early infection. In conclusion, the work presented here demonstrates the proof of concept development of a highly specific and sensitive point of care diagnostic assay for the detection of acute P. aeruginosa infection in CF patients, with scope for further development via generation of monoclonal antibodies and signal enhancement techniques.

Objectives: Sleep disturbance (SDi) is common in people with dementia (PwD) and impairs cognitive, psychological and functional wellbeing. Pharmacological treatments have serious side-effects. There is a lack of non-pharmacological treatment guidance and provision. Guided brief Mindfulness-Based interventions (gbMBIs) are effective in alleviating SDi in adults and are pragmatic to deliver. This study primarily explored: 1) the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of a gbMBI in alleviating SDi in dementia; and 2) the acceptability of a gbMBI among dyads comprising the person with dementia and their caregiver. Secondarily, it assessed the preliminary efficacy of a gbMBI. Design: Uncontrolled cohort study; all dyads received the gbMBI. Method: Dyads (N=9) received Good Sleep Hygiene guidance (GSH) and PwD undertook a 1-week, nightly, 14-minute audio gbMBI. Quantitative data were used to assess feasibility of an RCT and mixed-method data for the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the gbMBI. This study was exploratory and therefore no inferential analyses were performed. A modified mixed-method triangulation protocol unified mixed-method data. Results: Although research registers identified large pools of potential dyads, the eligibility rate did not exceed that of successful RCTs, whereas retention and adherence rates did. Triangulated data suggested the gbMBI delivery and content was acceptable to most, although some suggestions for improvement were recommended. Greater emphasis on GSH may increase acceptability. The gbMBI conflicted with the values of 2 dyads. Triangulated data provided some results suggesting alleviation of SDi and some that did not. Conclusions: An RCT may be feasible based on retention and adherence rates, but not eligibility rates; the gbMBI was acceptable among many dyads, but not all; the preliminary efficacy of the gbMBI was inconclusive. Overall, this study justified further development research into the efficacy of a gbMBI in treating SDi in dementia.

Background & Aims: Chronic widespread pain conditions such as fibromyalgia are prevalent and costly to the economy. Diagnosis is based upon symptoms, and although fibromyalgia's existence as a distinct clinical entity is debated, it causes great suffering and distress for those affected. Due to the unclear pathophysiology, controversy regarding its existence as a clinical entity, and variability in diagnosis, clinical management is often difficult, and frequently employs heterogeneous interventions. In addition, there is a paucity of literature from Middle Eastern countries on the condition, where the diagnostic label is not used. The purpose of this research study is to capture service users' and service providers' views and experiences of fibromyalgia and its management, including their views on the journey to diagnosis, current practice availability, emotional and life experience, information seeking, and experiences of seeking and receiving health care. It also aims to compare current practice for fibromyalgia in the UK with Libyan management procedures for chronic widespread pain. Research Method: A mixed methods approach was used in a two-phase study. Phase 1 consisted of twelve semi-structured interviews conducted with people diagnosed with FMS. The participants also completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Phase 2 consisted of a national survey of health and medical professionals from the British Pain Society and medical professionals in Libya regarding their views of and management practices for fibromyalgia. Findings were synthesised with qualitative findings. Results: Using framework analysis, the following themes were identified from the qualitative study: journey to diagnosis, coping with the varying and unpredictable nature of symptoms, emotional impact, and the availability and satisfaction with healthcare practices and services. The primary qualitative study highlighted some difficulties that the participants faced regarding a perceived lack of understanding by health and medical professionals as well as the general public regarding the management of the condition and its emotional and physical impact on their lives. These findings suggested that the patients were not managing daily living activities due to the disabling fatigue and worsening pain. This was corroborated by high FIQ scores and high alexithymia scores. This part of the study has also illustrated that a variety of intervention approaches are used with varying and often limited success. A total of n=69 respondents completed the survey, n=53 UK respondents and n=15 Libyan respondents. The results indicated that increasing numbers of people are diagnosed with fibromyalgia, though a range of different diagnostic labels are used. Treatment approaches in both countries were primarily focused on exercise and education, with CBT being used in the UK. Respondents from both countries agreed that there was a strong psychological overlay, though there was a variation between opinions regarding whether active management should aggravate pain temporarily in order to increase functional gains. Conclusions: The results indicate the high physical and emotional impact of fibromyalgia. The participants' perspectives have emphasised the need for support for people living with FMS, and the need for education and standardisation of approaches in clinical practice in both the UK and Libya.

In this work we demonstrate spectrally resolved x-ray scattering from electron-plasma waves in shock-compressed deuterium and proton-heated matter. Because the spectral signature of inelastic x-ray scattering is strongly dependent on the free electron density of the system, it is used to infer ionization in dynamically heated samples. Using 2-6 ns, 500 J laser pulses from LLNL's Janus laser, we shocked liquid deuterium to pressures approaching 50 GPa, reaching compressions of 4 times liquid density. A second laser produced intense 2 keV x-rays. By collecting and spectrally dispersing forward scattered photons at 45 degrees, the onset of ionization was detected at compressions of about 3 times in the form of plasmon oscillations. Backscattered x-rays bolstered this observation by measuring the free electron distribution through Compton scattering. Comparison with simulations shows very close agreement between the pressure dependence of ionization and molecular dissociation in dynamically compressed deuterium.In a second set of experiments, a 10 ps, 200 J Titan laser pulse was split into two beams. One created a stream of MeV protons to heat samples of boron and boron-nitride and the other pumped 4.5 keV K-alpha radiation in a titanium foil to probe the hot target. We observed scattered x-rays 300 ps after heating, noting a strong difference in average ionization between the two target materials at temperatures of 16 eV and very similar mass densities. Comparison with electron structure calculations suggests that this difference is due to a persistence of long-range ion structure in BN resulting in high-temperature band structure.These results underscore the importance of understanding the complex electron structure of materials even at electron-volt temperatures and gigapascal pressures. Our results provide new data to guide the theoretical modeling of warm, dense matter important to understanding giant planets and inertial fusion targets.

The purpose of this study is to examine the historical and musical correlation between the shaped-note hymn book, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion and Donald Grantham’s composition Southern Harmony, which is based on the hymn book. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion was first published in 1835 by William “Singin’ Billy” Walker of Spartanburg, South Carolina. This study begins by exploring the historical background of the shaped-note music tradition, and the importance of William Walker and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion within the genre. From that point, the characteristics of the shaped-note music tradition specific to Walker’s hymnbook are examined, and the manner in which that style and musical language then manifests itself in Grantham’s composition. Five hymn tunes from Walker’s book are used for the basis of this four-movement composition. In the first three movements, Grantham sets hymns that are intertwined with his own newly composed material. Two hymn tunes are integrated, again with Grantham’s original material, to create a “modified rondo” form for the last movement. Each hymn tune is briefly presented and surveyed, followed by a formal and motivic analysis of each movement from the work. Finally, performance considerations are then regarded for each movement.

The research was intended to study the changes that have taken place in Catholic schools since The Second Vatican Council through the professional lives of veteran Catholic secondary teachers. The objective was to put a human face on all of the significant changes that have reshaped Catholic schools over the last forty years. The research was gathered through the oral histories of fifteen Catholic educators from a Catholic central neighborhood high school in the Archdoicese of Cincinnati. The themes that developed from the interview were 1) Career choice issues, 2)Compensation and benefit issues, 3)Differences, this category concerned the modifications that have taken place concerning students, parents, and faculty, 4)Catholicism, this theme covered issues surrounding the changes that have occured to the Catholic religion and its schools since Vatican II, 5) Diversity, and 6) the future of Catholic schools and Catholic school teachers.

The automated translation of one natural language to another, known as machine translation (MT), typically requires successful modeling of the grammars of the languages and the relationship between them. Rather than hand-coding these grammars and relationships, some machine translation efforts employ data-driven methods, where the goal is to learn from a large amount of training examples of accurate translations. One such data-driven approach is statistical MT, where language and alignment models are automatically induced from parallel corpora. This work has also been extended to probabilistic finite-state approaches, most often via transducers. This dissertation introduces and begins an investigation of an MT model consisting of a novel combination finite-state devices. The model proposed is more flexible than transducer models, giving increased ability to handle word order differences between languages, as well as crossing and discontinuous alignments between words. The linked automata MT model consists of a source language automaton, a target language automaton, and an alignment table—a function which probabilistically links sequences of source and target language transitions. It is this augmentation to the finite-state base which gives the linked automata model its flexibility. The dissertation describes the linked automata model from the ground up, beginning with a description of some of the relevant MT history and empirical MT literature, and the preparatory steps for building the model, including a detailed discussion of word alignment and the introduction of a new technique for word alignment evaluation. Discussion then centers on the description of the model and its use of probabilities, including algorithms for its construction from word-aligned bitexts and for the translation process. The focus next moves to expanding the linked automata approach, first through generalization and techniques for extracting partial results, and then by increasing the coverage, both in terms of using additional linguistic information and using more complex alignments. The dissertation presents preliminary results for a test corpus of English to Spanish translations, and suggests ways in which the model can be further expanded as the foundation of a more powerful MT system.

The current thesis is written as a collection of four experimental studies, which aimed to examine possible antecedents of athlete burnout, as well as potential performance consequences of the social environment (i.e. coach-athlete relationship) and athlete burnout. The thesis adopts the integrated model of athlete burnout (Gustafsson et al,. 2011) as a theoretical framework to explore the athlete burnout construct. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the thesis whilst Chapter 2 reviews specific research literature to establish the research area interest for the four experimental studies. Chapter 3: Validating a Measurement of Perceived Teammate Burnout The aim of the first experimental study was to validate a sport specific method of measuring perceptions of teammate burnout. The athlete burnout questionnaire (ABQ) was adapted to create the team burnout questionnaire (TBQ) with items relating to the three dimensions of burnout (i.e. exhaustion, reduced accomplishment, and sport devaluation) modified through referent-shift to represent the perceptions of teammates (i.e. team exhaustion, team reduced accomplishment, and team sport devaluation). A sample of 290 team sports athletes completed the athlete burnout questionnaire (ABQ) and the TBQ at a single time point. To validate the proposed TBQ as a measure of athletes' perceptions of teammates' burnout two statistical steps were carried out. In the first step, the ABQ and the TBQ were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The next step was to combine both models into one multi-trait/multi-method (MTMM) analysis to test for discriminant validity and convergent validity. Comparing the CFA and MTMM models identifies that the discriminate validity of the TBQ was statistically supported. The TBQ could be utilised by researchers to examine an athlete's perception of their social environment as previously the integrated model of athlete burnout (Gustafsson et al., 2011) indicated that stressful social relationship may be a possible antecedent of athlete burnout. Chapter 4: Examining Perceptions of Teammates' Burnout and Training Hours in Athlete Burnout Following on from the validation of the TBQ in Chapter 3, Chapter 4 aimed to explore whether athlete perceptions of their teammates burnout influence their experience of burnout symptoms. The second aim of the study was to investigate the influence of training hours on the development of athlete burnout. 140 team sport athletes on two occasions separated by 3 months completed a series of questionnaires including the ABQ, the TBQ, and a number of demographic questions (e.g., On average, how many hours do you train per week?). Global burnout scores (i.e. mean of the 15 items of the ABQ) for athlete burnout and actual team burnout level were used to carry out the statistical analysis for the main analysis. The actual team burnout level was calculated by taking the mean of athletes' burnout scores within each team. To assess whether athlete burnout and athletes' perceptions of team burnout changed across time points, paired samples t-tests were conducted. To determine whether training hours impact upon athlete burnout and athletes' perception of team burnout, hierarchical regressions and linear regressions were conducted. The dynamic nature of athlete burnout was highlighted following data collection as the athlete's score on global burnout significantly increased across the 3 month period. At the initial time point, the training hours were not significantly associated to athlete burnout or the perception of their teammate's burnout. However, the cumulative training demands over the course of the 3 months appeared to impact upon athlete burnout. The study also identified that an athlete's perception of their teammates burnout may be a possible athlete burnout antecedent as results indicated that athlete's perceptions of their social environment predicted athlete burnout. Chapter 5: The Role of Coach-Athlete Relationship Quality in Team Sport Athletes' Psychophysiological Exhaustion: Implications for Physical and Cognitive Performance Further to stressful social relationships, the integrated model of athlete burnout (Gustafsson et al., 2011) identified the coach-athlete relationship is related to the development of athlete burnout. Chapter 5 aimed to examine whether the quality of the coach-athlete relationship (i.e. closeness, commitment and complementarity) was related to the development of athlete exhaustion and the performance of athletes. Chapter 5 adopted a two phase design. Phase One, 82 athletes participants completed a quasi-experimental trial measuring physical performance during a 5-m multiple shuttle-run test, followed by a Stroop test to assess cognitive performance, provided three samples of saliva to measure cortisol, and a series of questionnaire (i.e., ABQ, coach-athlete relationship questionnaire (CART-Q), demographic and background questionnaire). Structural equation modelling revealed a positive relationship between the quality of the coach-athlete relationship and Stroop performance. Negative relationships existed between the quality of the coach-athlete relationship and cortisol responses to high-intensity exercise, cognitive testing, and exhaustion and athlete exhaustion. In Phase Two, twenty-five athletes completed the experimental procedure on a further two occasions each time separated by 3 months. Structural equation modelling analysis revealed that the coach-athlete relationship at the beginning of the season predicted athlete exhaustion in the middle of the season. The analysis also revealed that the coach-athlete relationship and athlete exhaustion were unrelated to the physical and cognitive performance of athletes at the end of the season. The results indicated that athletes who perceived their relationship with their coach as being close, committed and complementary were less likely to perceive themselves as exhausted. Additionally, indicating that low quality coach athlete relationship increase the likelihood of athletes experiencing symptoms of emotional and physical exhaustion. Chapter 6: The Physical Implications of Athlete Exhaustion and the Quality of Coach-Athlete Relationship: A Case Study Chapter 6 aimed to investigate whether athlete burnout and the quality of the coach-athlete relationship accounted for differences in sporting performance. Fourteen male footballers complete a series of questionnaires including the CART-Q and the ABQ on two occasions separated by 10 weeks. Across the 10 weeks the total distance athletes covered during games and training was monitored using global positioning systems (GPS) technology. Further to monitoring running performance athletes counter movement jump (CMJs) were recorded each week. A series of three mixed factor models were utilised to investigate the potential influence of athlete burnout and the quality of the coach-athlete relationship on the variability of athletic performance. Findings from the first mixed factor model indicated that both athlete exhaustion at Time One and coach-athlete relationship quality at Time Two predicted the running distance covered by athletes during training session. The second mixed factor model revealed that performance on CMJs was predicted by athlete exhaustion at Time One, coach-athlete relationship quality at Time One, and the interaction effect between athlete exhaustion at Time One and coach-athlete relationship quality at Time One. The final mixed factor model indicated athlete exhaustion and the quality of the coach-athlete relationship did not predict the running distance covered by athletes during games. The results revealed that athletes who feel they are experiencing symptoms of emotional and physical exhaustion were likely to run further in training but not jump as high on CMJs. Furthermore, it could be suggested that athletes who perceive a high quality coach athlete relationship in terms of being close, committed and complementary were likely to have a lower CMJ score. Finally, the results may suggest that the coach athlete relationship acts as a protective mechanism when exhaustion is high to maintain CMJs performance. Chapter 7 discusses the general findings arising from the experimental Chapters, presents the central theoretical and applied implications, identifies the limitations of the research programme, and provides suggestions for future research.

Introduction: Cognitive difficulties are evidenced in opiate-dependent populations, whether they are caused by drug use per se, or other associated life-style factors. To date no research exists which explores the subjective experience of cognitive impairment in opiate-dependent populations attending drug and alcohol services. In comparable fields such as brain injury and dementia, the subjective experience of cognitive impairment has been explored with important and beneficial results. Method: Using a qualitative design, data were collected from in-depth interviews with six working-age adults with a diagnosis of opiate-use disorder, attending a service for opiate-substitution therapy, who self-identified as experiencing memory and thinking difficulties. Transcripts were analysed in accordance with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results: Three superordinate themes emerged: “a damaged brain and mind” which included the extent of the impairment and how participants made sense of such difficulties; “perceptions of the self as spoiled” which explored the perceived changes in independence and dependence and resultant negative feelings about the self; and “coping with a lesser self” which included acceptance and adaptation, and familiar but maladaptive coping strategies. Conclusions: Participants’ understanding and experience of their cognitive difficulties contributed to their sense of well-being, and further impacted on chosen coping strategies. Consideration of cognitive impairment is important to effectively support individuals attending drug and alcohol services.

Field experiments were conducted in 1984 and 1985 in Fluvanna and Montgomery Counties in Virginia, to evaluate HOE-O661 (glufosinate) [ammonium-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl )-methyl phosphinate], cyanazine (2-[[4-chloro-6-(ethylamino )-s-triazin-2-yl]amino]-2-methyl propionitrile)), glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] and paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl 4,4'-bipyridinium ion) for the control of vegetation existing at the time of no-till corn establishment. These herbicides were applied alone or in combination with 2,4-D [(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid] or dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid) at three timings of application. Both locations were heavily infested with annual, biennial, and perennial broadleaf weeds, including horseweed (Conyza canadensis), buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata), field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), curly dock (Rumex crispus) and wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis). All four non-selective herbicides provided good overall weed control. The addition of 2,4-D or dicamba generally improved the control of broadleaf weeds in all four experiments. Control of horseweed with paraquat was variable, but improved significantly when dicamba was applied in combination with paraquat. Glyphosate, cyanazine and HOE-O661 alone or in combination with 2,4-D or dicamba provided excellent horseweed control. Wild mustard control with glyphosate was dependent on the weed size and growth stage of development. Control with paraquat, cyanazine and HOE-0661 was not affected by differences in wild mustard size or growth stage. Glyphosate and HOE-0661 provided acceptable field bindweed control alone, and all herbicides gave excellent field bindweed control when applied in combination with 2,4-D or dicamba. Cyanazine and HOE-0661 showed better control of shoot growth on the more difficult-to-control weeds than paraquat and glyphosate when applied alone. With the addition of either 2,4-D or dicamba, cyanazine and HOE-0661 provided better overall weed control, in most cases, than corresponding paraquat and glyphosate combinations. Timing of application and weed size did not significantly affect herbicide activity, even at later application timings when weeds were well established and exceeded 60 cm in height.

The properties and distribution of the enzyme, alkyl dihydroxyacetone-3-phosphate synthase, which catalyses the reaction between acyl dihydroxyacetone-3-phosphate (acyl DHAP) and long chain alcohol to give 1-O-alkyl dihydroxyacetone-3-phosphate (alkyl DHAP) were investigated. A new assay system was developed based on the use of 1-('14)C-hexadecanol incorporation into alkyl DHAP followed by extraction using a modified Bligh and Dyer partition under alkaline conditions (pH (GREATERTHEQ) 10). This resulted in the quantitative extraction of alkyl DHAP formed into the upper aqueous layer. The nonpolar, labeled hexadecanol remained in the chloroform rich lower layer. An aliquot of the upper layer was used directly for the determination of the radioactive alkyl DHAP formed. The activity was determined in a wide range of tissue homogenates including rat and guinea pig liver, rat brain, spleen, testis, adrenals and also in the microsomal fraction obtained from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The highest activity among the tissue homogenates was found in the spleen and adrenals while the lowest activity was found in rat liver. Ehrlich ascites cell microsomes had the highest specific activity and were selected for further study by virtue of the high specific activity and also the relative lack of other contaminating enzymes. The enzyme from Ehrlich ascites cell microsomes showed an optimal activity of approximately 1.0 nmole/minute/mg protein at 90 (mu)M palmitoyl DHAP and 300 (mu)M hexadecanol. Inhibition was observed if the acyl DHAP concentration exceeded 90 (mu)M. The enzyme was shown to be active with a wide range of long chain primary alcohols with polyunsaturated alcohols being better substrates than the corresponding saturates. Tetradecanoyl and octadecanoyl DHAP were active in the assay with the order of activity being palmitoyl (GREATERTHEQ) octadecanoyl > tetradecanoyl DHAP. The enzyme had a pH optimum of around 8.2-8.3 and showed no pH shift or stimulation of activity upon addition of detergents. The mechanism of the enzyme catalysis was investigated. Acyl R-{1-('3)H,U-('14)C} DHAP and its stereoisomer, acyl S-{1-('3)H,U-('14)C} DHAP were synthesized from 1-('3)H sn-glycerol. The stereospecifically labeled acyl DHAP's were used to show that the reaction involved a stereospecific exchange of the pro-R hydrogen at C-1 of DHAP. R and omly labeled acyl R,S-{1-('3)H,U-('14)C} DHAP was used to show that configuration of C-1 of the product alkyl DHAP was the same as the configuration of the substrate, acyl DHAP. Evidence was obtained which showed that the alkyl DHAP synthase catalyses the exchange of the acyl group of acyl DHAP with free fatty acid in the absence of long chain alcohol. The enzyme was shown to be bound to the interior of the vesicles found in the microsomal fraction of Ehrlich ascites cells by the use of trypsin in the presence and absence of detergent. The enzyme was demonstrated to be localized in the peroxisomal fraction of guinea pig liver by differential centrifugation and comparison with marker enzymes. The enzyme was also tentatively localized in the microperoxisomal fraction of immature rat brain on the basis of the similarity of its behaviour upon differential centrifugation to catalase.

Dirofilaria tenuis is a subcutaneous filariid of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) which is transmitted by mosquitoes and occasionally infects humans. The parasite has not been reported to occur in raccoons from Georgia though a patient from the southeastern section of the state was recently treated for a D. tenuis-induced conjunctival nodule. To determine the prevalence of D. tenuis among raccoons in Georgia, animals were live-trapped, anesthetized and bled. Wet mounts of fresh raccoon blood and preparations of blood concentrated in 2% formalin were examined for the presence of D. tenuis microfilariae using a light microscope. We found that 48 of 90 raccoons (53%) trapped in the southeastern Georgia counties of Richmond, Bryan, Bulloch, Candler and Liberty were infected with the parasite. Numbers of microfilariae ranged from 100 to 14,750/ml of raccoon blood (mean ± SD = 2,215 ± 2,757). The mean length and width (pm) of microfilariae in 2% formalin were 292.7 ± 29.5 and 5.0 ± 1.3 respectively. Microfilariae had buttonhooked tails and were unsheathed. This is the first report of D. tenuis in raccoons in the state of Georgia. Additionally, I examined mosquitoes trapped in southeast Georgia to determine which species serve as vectors of D. tenuis in this area and to determine the prevalence of the parasite in mosquitoes. I dissected 521 mosquitoes (23 different species) and have found 7 mosquitoes of the species Aedes taeniorhynchus infected with as yet to be identified filariid larvae and prelarvae.

It is not the purpose of this thesis to assume a conclusion of fraud in the Civil War Pensions System, but merely to find out what the conditions were and bring them out. This study is divided into four parts: 1. A survey of pensions up to Harrison's administration; 2. The Pension Bureau under Tanner and Raum; 3. Individual typical cases of fraud; 4. Conclusion. These materials were gathered from the library at the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the library at Oklahoma University. It has been a pleasure to write this thesis--thanks to Dr. T. H. Reynolds, Miss Grace Campbell, and Miss Margaret Walters. Special thanks are extended to Miss Odessa Sharp for her suggestions as to the clarity of the English in this study.

The severe health implications associated with physical inactivity highlight the need for research aiming to elucidate mechanisms underlying individuals’ experience of exercise. Affective responses to exercise have been identified as a central factor shaping exercise behaviour (Ekkekakis, 2003; Kwan & Bryan, 2010; Williams, et al., 2008). Research identifies that external and internal factors influence affective evaluations of exercise. One external factor influencing the evaluation of affective responses is the environmental stimuli comprising the exercise setting (Antoniewicz & Brand, 2014; DaSilva, et al., 2011). Therefore, study one examined the influence of environmental cues on affective and cognitive responses to exercise in an ecologically valid setting. Results revealed significant interactions between environmental cues and affect, and motivation; this suggests that intra-individual processes may influence exercise behaviour. The thesis subsequently investigated internal processes that influence affective evaluations of exercise; in particular, processes underlying the recall of affective experience (Kahneman, et al., 1993). Study two examined individuals’ recall of exercise related affect over a period of two weeks using a randomised control crossover design. Results indicated that exercise related affect fluctuated over the two-week period with a significant drop at 24 hours post low-to-moderate and high intensity exercise trials. Additionally, recalled affect better predicted anticipatory feelings than affect recorded during exercise. The study also found partial support for the peak and end rule particularly for the high intensity exercise. Extending study two’s findings, study three explored the recall of exercise related affect and anticipatory feelings using an experimental design with a self-paced exercise protocol. The study revealed significant changes across postexercise recall with follow-up measures at 8 and 24 hours indicating a substantial decline in affect. Overall findings revealed that contextual factors promote positive affect when aligned with one’s goals; however discordant contextual cues and goals can thwart positive affective responses. Further, recall of affective experiences of exercise dynamically change over time and recalled affect can predict anticipatory feelings of exercise. Lastly, all studies’ findings emphasise on the imperative role of idiographic analysis in research on affective responses to exercise.

The ability to form secure attachments shapes the experience of feeling safe in distressing situations. Dementia is often described as a distressing situation which activates the attachment system. Consequently, how people with dementia and caregivers attach to one another informs how safety may be experienced in such circumstances. This thesis has sought to understand how attachment influences the experience of both the person with dementia and their caregiver. Part one presents a literature review on the ‘interactive attachment dyad’ between the person with dementia and caregiver. Findings suggested that interactions within the dyad is a complex phenomenon. Conflicting results across papers highlighted difficulty in understanding how attachment influences the reciprocal interactions that take place between people with dementia and caregivers. Future research could include exploratory observational research of interactions that take place within the dyad, and explore the relevance of attachment theory. Part two presents an empirical paper which qualitatively explored staff caregivers’ understanding of their interactions with, and relationship to, residents in the mid to later stages of dementia in the care home setting. This sought to consider the relevance of attachment within the caregiving relationship. Findings highlighted that a care home setting shares many of the features usually associated with the concept of a secure base in attachment theory. The findings suggest that an attachment-focused model of care may be useful to consider across policies, clinicians and service-levels. Future research is considered.

Background: The study aimed to investigate the perspective of family members of someone diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and its psychological impact. Little is known about how MCI impacts the life, roles and relationships of family members. Similarly, there is very limited research into how families of those with MCI relate to the role of ‘carer’ and their opinions of the diagnostic process. Methods: Participants were recruited through opportunity sampling in a memory assessment service in the South of England. Seven family members took part in semi-structured interviews to gain a thorough understanding of their experiences. The sample was made up of four females and three males who identified as spouses or offspring of the person with MCI. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Four major themes were revealed across the data: “The ups and downs of the diagnostic process”, “MCI is not a clear concept”, “MCI has made the future uncertain”, and “Changes are coming”. There were varied opinions about the diagnostic process and people were concerned about the lack of available information. Following the diagnosis, relatives had been left managing a lot of uncertainty, and people noted different responses to and impacts of this. There were discussions about existing and anticipated changes to life as a result of MCI. Conclusions: The current research identified several new ideas in the MCI literature, including relatives’ positive experiences of the diagnostic process, not yet identifying with the ‘carer’ role and concerns about how people are referred into memory services. There was support for existing literature regarding the difficulty of managing the uncertainty of MCI and the changes caused to relationships as a result of MCI. Several clinical implications were suggested that could improve family members’ experience of the diagnostic process, coping and adjustment.

A relationship between shame and alcohol dependence has been reported in the literature, however the precise nature of this relationship is largely unexplored. A review of the literature suggested that experiencing shame is considered to be a risk factor of relapse. The drinking of alcohol temporarily relieves the negative feelings of shame therefore reinforcing further drinking and maintaining addictive behaviour. As a consequence, learning how to cope with shame without drinking, may improve recovery. On the other hand, some evidence suggests that experiencing shame may be helpful for developing reasons for stopping drinking and also a necessary protective factor that helps to prevent relapse. This study sought to explore how shame is experienced and understood by those ‘in recovery’ from alcohol dependence, by looking at the different ways that shame is spoken about in personal narratives. Eight participants were recruited from Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) groups and invited to tell their story of recovery. Transcripts were analysed using a narrative approach, focusing on how participants narrated their stories and made sense of their experiences, by identifying specific narrative techniques used to talk about shame. An analysis across all transcripts then identified narrative themes in relation to shame and from this a tentative model of shame in alcohol dependence was proposed. A discussion of the findings evaluated evidence for the model, taking into account the results from this study and those from existing theory and research, whilst identifying areas of further research that are needed. Clinical implications in relation to addressing shame in recovery are also discussed.

There is reason to suspect that a substantial number of older adults are regularly drinking alcohol in excess of recommended guidelines and may be regarded as problem drinkers. In the UK, the number of older adult problem drinkers is projected to increase as the population continues to age. Problematic alcohol consumption has negative health implications for the older adult and causes a strain on public services. Approximately one third of older adult problem drinkers experience a late onset of the problem, after the age of 55 years. Existing literature supports the narrative that this group develop the problem in response to stressful life events, however there is relatively little qualitative research exploring the reasons for the development of late onset problematic drinking from the point of view of the individual. Seven older adult problem drinkers were recruited from a Midlands based alcohol recovery project and interviewed. Transcripts were analysed using Thematic Analysis and four major themes emerged: History as an explanation; Personality as an explanation; External precipitants; and Factors maintaining the problem. A discussion of the findings is provided in the context of existing literature and support is lent to an integrated theoretical model in understanding the development of late onset problem drinking and the recognition of possible avenues for intervention by clinicians and services.