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Herbs have been used as the basis of medicines for centuries. Although there is often only anecdotal evidence linking specific phytochemicals to health benefits there is currently a great deal of interest in the development of foods containing plant 'bioactive' metabolites (functional foods). To improve the possibility of validating health claims associated with any novel food requires a standardised methodology to be place to assess compositional qualities of any food raw materials and to confirm consumption, compound bioavailability and to assess any possibility of differential metabolism in food intervention trials. Salvia sclareoides brot. is a wild species native to the Iberic Peninsula and is currently, being investigated for use in functional foods by ERVITAL, a company specialising in the commercialisation of medicinal plants/herbs. Previous research efforts have studied its composition, targeting compounds such as rosmarinic acid that is likely to provide potential health benefits; however, its metabolome is completely unexplored. Metabolomics methodologies were applied initially to investigate metabolome diversity and stability of of different organs of Salvia sclareoides brot in ERVITAL field trial in Portugal. Initial experiments indicated the metabolomes of harvested rosette leaves and most parts of flowering shoots to be very similar. The field location was also found to have little impact on the metabolome. Metabolome analysis of plant material collected from the field in two different years indicated considerable variability, potentially associated with changeable weather conditions. The impact of environmental stress on the Salvia sclareoides metabolome was proposed to be studied under greenhouse conditions in Aberystwyth using seeds harvested by ERVITAL. The seeds exhibited poor germination rates and so seedlings were vegetatively propagated and allowed to flower and set seed. Due to the low number of replicates more seed was requested and set to grow. The new growing seedlings exhibited substantial morphological differences to the wild transplanted material in Portugal and further examination revealed them to actually be a different species of Salvia (Salvia verbenaca) also growing at the same site. These presented a significantly better germination rate and allowed for the study to continue. Commonly encountered abiotic stresses, such as temperature and drought had no impact on the levels of rosmarinic acid, whilst global metabolome analysis highlighted significant changes. Functional enrichment modelling conducted using the close relative Sesame indicum KEGG ID highlighted 18 potential pathways that were altered with the hot and drought treatments. It was possible to observe that sugar concentration in the drought treatments remained similar to the control while regularly water plants in hot treatment depleted its starch reserves. A food intervention study was designed to evaluate methodology that might be used to validate any health claims associated with the consumption of sage products, using commercially available 'sage' teas approved for consumption in the UK. 3-Methylrosmarinate was found to be a key urinary biomarker for consumption of "sage" related products. Urine samples from a large fruit and vegetable intervention study (FAVRIT) was used to help develop a semi-quantitative method for non-targeted metabolite profiling by LC-MS in order to screen human populations for major metabotype clusters. The method utilized natural chemical structural analogues as internal standards and applied a normalization step in the pre-processing of the urine samples to allow alignment of data sets. It is concluded that metabolite fingerprinting using LC-MS has value for optimising growth conditions to achieve consistent levels of targeted 'bioactive' secondary metabolites from wild plant species. In the case of 'sage' species 3-methylrosmarinic acid can be used to monitor compliance in food intervention trials aimed at validating health claims. LC-MS methodology has been developed that should allow rapid screening of individuals in clinical trials for evidence of any differential metabolism of 'bioactive' that could impact on bioavailability.

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) is a remarkably versatile technique in biological imaging. MPM provides increased depth over confocal imaging and can be combined with other imaging techniques such as fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), adding functional information. FLIM read-out is relatively straightforward using time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC). Fluorescence lifetime detection enhances the power of multiphoton imaging to allow three dimensional, concentration independent, measurements of environmental parameters such as pH, Oxygen tension and Ca2+ in addtion to the interaction or conformational modification of proteins by Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET); the latter is a particular focus of the Dimbleby research groups at King’s College London. However, there are significant limitations in both FLIM and MM. Limitations of TCSPC-FLIM include prolonged acquisition times along with signal and resolution degradation as a function of depth. This thesis demonstrates advancements multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging through improvements in two principal areas: speed and resolution at depth. In order to improve acquistion rates a multifocal multiphoton microscope (MMM) capable of rapid, parallelized TCSPC-FLIM was developed-MegaFLI. Acquisitions demonstrate rapid 3-dimensional, high temporal resolution FLIM in vivo Zebrafish. Performed by massively parallel excitation/detection the speed is signficantly improved by a factor of 64. In parallel to the MegaFLI project, a second microscope employing adaptive optical correction has been developed. The introduction of Adaptive Optics (AO) serves to improve imaging quality by counteracting the refractive index heterogeneities introduced by the sample, limiting the imaging depth. Incorporated with a single beam scanning FLIM system, a pupil-­‐segmentation AO-TCSPC-FLIM demonstrates improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and resolution, permiting a more accurate determination of fluorescent lifetime in turbid media.

The computation of high-lift flows poses considerable challenges to the aerodynamicist. The work presented in this thesis describes the development of an efficient unstructured grid generation method for high lift flows and the application of Differential Reynolds Stress Models (DRSM). The method described in this thesis, separates the grid generation process into two steps: generation of the anisotropic regions and isotropic grid generation. All surfaces are triangulated as part of the anisotropic grid generation process. The user can also specify the wake regions. Using surfaces or wakes, the algorithm computes the normals to the surfaces and distributes new points along those directions. This initial grid is connected to the outer boundaries. The cells connecting the anisotropic grid with the outer boundaries are continuously refined using an edge-splitting algorithm that creates new computational cells, grid points and cell connectivities simultaneously. The second part of this research involves the assessment of two DRSM against a k - e model. The validation study included the Launder-Rodi-Reece (LRR) DRSM and the Speziale-Sarkar-Gatski (SSG) DRSM. The Reynoldsaverage Navier-Stokes (RANS), are solved explicitly using a cell centred finitevolume scheme. The focus of the validation study, are high-lift configurations tested as part of the U.K. National High-Lift Programme. The aerofoils considered include a 3, 4 and 5-element configuration, designated NHLP L1/T2, NHLP L1/T7 and NHLP L1/T8 respectively. The results for the L1/T2 and L1/T7 aerofoils show only marginal differences on the predicted aerodynamic loads. The results for the L1/T8 show significant differences between both types of models, with the LRR exhibiting the closest agreement with experimental data. Results indicate that only in these extreme cases, the advantages of a Differential Reynolds Stress Model influence the aerodynamic loads results. However in most cases the DRSMs produced a better representation of the flow physics.

Public participation in government is a hallmark of a democratic society. In the planning realm, public participation has come to define good planning and is seen as fundamental to achieving lasting and possible solutions. The effectiveness of public participation, however, is directly related to the volume and quality of available information and the support that citizens have in making sense of this information, both to develop positions and to make informed contributions. This thesis develops a learning-enhancing framework for public participation in spatial planning. Departing from the analysis of a classic theory of learning, Personal Construct Theory by George Kelly (1955), an innovative design for a spatial public participation system is proposed. This system integrates three elements: an information exploration element a Multi-criteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) and an Argumentation Map (AM). In concert, these elements make information available and address the two components of learning suggested by Kelly: the individual component (making sense of one's own experiences of the real world) and the social component (social interaction). A web-based system is developed and used to assess the adequacy of the proposed conceptual framework. The prototype system is applied to the pertinent and controversial spatial problem of onshore wind farm siting using a study area in the county of Norfolk, England. The prototype, called WePWEP (Web-based Participatory Wind Energy Planning), is tested in a quasi- naturalistic experiment. Test results evaluate the proposed framework favourably and highlight some aspects of the prototype that can be improved.

A theoretical treatment for studying the propagation and radiation characteristics of leaky cables is described. The continuously slotted coaxial cable is studied in free space, both in electrostatic conditions and at VHF. Results from the former analysis were obtained by the use of a conformal transformation technique; they refer mainly to the distribution of energy inside and outside the coaxial structure and to the capacitance, the value of which was found to be in very good agreement with measurements. For the latter a modal analysis was carried out concurrently with a discussion on the optimum number of terms for the series, describing the fields and the slot functions; the results showed that a quasi-TEM mode, slow wave, had conditions to propagate in such structure. A loose braid coaxial cable is also studied, both in free space and above a conductive ground plane. A discussion on two possible interpretations for the sign of the surface transfer impedance is presented and related to two different modes of propagation. The results from the study of the cable over a perfectly conductive ground plane indicate the possible existance of two uncoupled modes, a slow and a fast wave, propagating simultaneously along the structure. The possible causes of the 'standing waves' are discussed and two approaches to overcome their adverse effects on communication are indicated. Finally, conclusions are taken with special emphasis bn establishing general guide-lines relevant to the design of a system.

This thesis examines the performance of a building integrated Photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) collector to drive a desiccant/indirect evaporative cooling (IEC) system. In this HVAC system, the PVT array supplies warm air to regenerate the desiccant wheel for cooling purpose or to provide space heating directly to the building, plus the electricity generated. Two building models are investigated, a rooftop monitoring room located at UNSW Sydney, and a Shopping Centre model for various climates in Australia. The building thermal model of the monitoring room was developed in TRNSYS and validated using experimental measurements for two scenarios, with an HVAC system (Cv (RMSE) = 1.47%) and without (Cv (RMSE) = 1.94%). The total area of the solar collector is 46 m2. The air distribution system was optimized to achieve a minimum pressure drop. This resulted in an air duct of 300 mm diameter duct, whose total pressure drop was only 17.0 Pa. The desiccant/IEC system for the monitoring room was simulated in Sydney without a conventional HVAC backup. Results show that the indoor air conditions were outside the comfort level for about 6% of the working hours. To achieve a better performance, a backup using a conventional HVAC system was added. By comparing the simulation results of this hybrid HVAC system with that of a conventional HVAC system, the annual energy-saving for cooling was 39% and for heating 65%. In order to assess the potential of the hybrid HVAC system for commercial buildings, a Shopping Centre model was created and simulated in four capital cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and Darwin) across Australia. The simulation results show that electricity savings of 46% in Sydney to 41% in Hobart can be achieved for cooling, while savings from 82% in Sydney to 74% in Hobart can be achieved for heating. The outcomes of this research show that the proposed solar desiccant/IEC HVAC cycle is a real alternative to compression based systems, while offering important advantages on reducing peak demand and energy use without sacrificing comfort.

The development of Renaissance Portugal was greatly impacted by the transatlantic slave trade during the colonial period, as the country emerged as a major European power not only financially but also culturally. It is well known that Portuguese musical practices during this period, especially with regard to sacred polyphony, resembled those of other European cultures, however, there is more to this narrative. Knowing that the transatlantic slave trade was one of the major consequences of colonialism, and that by the 16th-century Black Africans represented more than 10% of the population in Lisbon and other cities in Portugal makes it crucial to consider Black Africans as major agents of cultural transfer.As the groundbreaking work of historians Kate Lowe, A. C. de C. M. Saunders and Jose Tinhorão demonstrates, the presence of Africans had a significant impact on Portuguese social and cultural life. Contemporary written and visual sources (such as paintings) demonstrate that, for instance, music from sub-Saharan Africa was performed in a variety of situations and on different levels of society: in the squares and taverns of early modern Lisbon, in religious processions around the country, and at the Portuguese court.The primary aim of this thesis is to explore the musical activities of Africans in early modern Portugal, emphasizing their influence towards the practice of the villancico. To contextualize the question of how Black Africans have influenced the practice of music in Portugal, I discuss the social, cultural and legal role of Black Africans within the society. Through a thorough stylistic and formal comparison of the Villancicos de Negro to other villancicos of the same collection that represent other ethnic groups or an unspecified type, I will seek to demonstrate that the Villancicos de Negro share a common stylistic and formal profile. Moreover, I will examine the specific issue of representation of race, focusing on what the works can potentially tell us about how Black Africans were perceived within Portuguese society and how they were represented in the liturgical context of Christmas celebrations, during which these villancicos were frequently performed.I propose that the African slaves brought to Portugal during the fifteenth century not only had a major role in development of the society by contributing and participating in the practice of music in Portugal, but also influenced the practice of Portuguese villancicos.

Bees are a critically important functional group, contributing to the pollination of many of the world’s leading food crops and flowering plants, but concern is growing over signals of bee declines. Habitat loss associated with urbanization is thought to contribute to bee decline, but studies show that bees have variable and complex responses to urbanization. This variability has challenged our ability to understand the patterns, function, and management of wild bees in urban landscapes. This dissertation aims to address these challenges by using the patch-corridor matrix model and urbanization gradient analyses to investigate 1) whether bees show variable response patterns to urbanization due to an issue of scale, 2) how urbanization affects the function of pollination in urban agriculture, and 3) the effect of small flower plantings on bee management in urban landscapes. First, I propose that bees show variable response patterns to urbanization due to an issue of scale, more specifically the resolution at which land cover data is measured. To test this, I first review prior studies of urban landscape impacts on bees, and then use remote sensing technology to test whether a shift from coarse- to fine-resolution land cover data reveals new patterns. In the literature review, I find studies continue to show variable results, with most studies finding no significant effects in how urban landscapes impact wild bees. I also find most studies use coarse-resolution land cover data to test landscape effects. When comparing bee response patterns between coarse- and fine-resolution land cover data, I find fine-resolution land cover data reveals patterns that are obscured by coarse-resolution land cover data. Second, I conduct a field experiment to test how urbanization in south-eastern Michigan impacts pollinators and the ecosystem service of food production in urban agriculture. I find that the urban heat island effect affects food production quantity and quality, while the presence of pollinators in gardens affects food production stability. Third, I conduct a final field experiment to test how floral additions of one to ten pots of flowers impact wild bee populations in urban landscapes. I find that small flower plantings can positively impact pollinators in urban areas, although a nonlinear and saturating relationship between flower quantity and bees means that smaller floral additions have higher impacts than large floral additions. At a time when urbanization is projected to continue expanding at rapid rates, and the status of wild bee health is uncertain, this research deepens our understandings of the links between urbanization, wild bee populations, and effects on their ecosystems services and management. To deconstruct the variability seen across past studies, this dissertation underscores the importance of matching scales of measurements to the scales of the biological species of interest. My results also show that bees can act as a stabilizing force in urban agriculture, and that encouraging citizens to plant flowers can be an effective bee management strategy.

Rigid-body-musculoskeletal models are becoming commonly used to study human motion, particularly of people with some form of neuromusculoskeletal condition. However, these musculoskeletal models are typically generic, having simplified anatomical and kinematic representations, with coarse-meshed bone geometries, and body-segment inertial parameters (BSIP) obtained from a limited number of adult-male cadavers. Furthermore, these models have hip joints that articulate around an estimated hip-joint centre (HJC), two-dimensional-sagittal-plane tibiofemoral (TFJ) and patellofemoral joints (PFJ) models at the knee, and hinges for the talocrural (TCJ) and subtalar (STJ) joints in the ankle and foot. Each person’s model has bone dimensions, BSIPs and joint kinematics that are linearly scaled from the generic models using scale-factors obtained from three-dimensional (3D) positions of motion capture (3DMOCAP) markers or from magnetic resonance images (MRI). However, bone dimensions might not be properly adjusted with linear scaling, which will affect the position and orientation of joint centres and axis, the location of the segments’ centre of mass and moments of inertia, the position of musculotendon length, origins and insertions as well as bone geometry e.g. femur neck-length. Finally, muscle forces, joint angles, moments and internal joint loads of gait estimated using these scaled-generic models have been shown to be inaccurate, probably due to the aforementioned imprecise bone geometries and simplified joint models.