Search

The dissertation examines women in Byzantine Central Greece between 1000-1200. It aims to achieve two goals. Firstly, while the current scholarship on Byzantine women focuses on Constantinopolitan sources and underestimates regional differences, this study attempts to evaluate how patterns extracted from a specific provincial region may complement or revise our present knowledge. Secondly, taking the subject as an example, the study seeks to explore the potential of studying under-represented medieval social groups that appear invisible at first glance. The dissertation’s three main parts respectively examine women in their three primary areas of activity, i.e., economic involvement, devotional life, and family roles.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) which is capable of visualizing local molecular and physiological parameters in living cells, plays a significant role in biological sciences, chemistry, and medical research. In order to unveil dynamic cellular processes, it is necessary to develop high-speed FLIM technology. Thanks to the development of highly parallel time-to-digital convertor (TDC) arrays, especially when integrated with single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), the acquisition rate of high-resolution fluorescence lifetime imaging has been dramatically improved. On the other hand, these technological advances and advanced data acquisition systems have generated massive data, which significantly increases the difficulty of FLIM analysis. Traditional FLIM systems rely on time-consuming iterative algorithms to retrieve the FLIM parameters. Therefore, lifetime analysis has become a bottleneck for high-speed FLIM applications, let alone real-time or video-rate FLIM systems. Although some simple algorithms have been proposed, most of them are only able to resolve a simple FLIM decay model. On the other hand, existing FLIM systems based on CPU processing do not make use of available parallel acceleration. In order to tackle the existing problems, my study focused on introducing the state-of-art general purpose graphics processing units (GPUs) to the FLIM analysis, and building a data processing system based on both CPU and GPUs. With a large amount of parallel cores, the GPUs are able to significantly speed up lifetime analysis compared to CPU-only processing. In addition to transform the existing algorithms into GPU computing, I have developed a new high-speed and GPU friendly algorithm based on an artificial neural network (ANN). The proposed GPU-ANN-FLIM method has dramatically improved the efficiency of FLIM analysis, which is at least 1000-folder faster than some traditional algorithms, meaning that it has great potential to fuel current revolutions in high-speed high-resolution FLIM applications.

Sugar oligomers which are linked to proteins and lipids play important roles in a large number of biological processes. These sugars are referred to as glycans. In the immune system, almost all key proteins are glycosylated. Glycans regulate the migration, recognition, activation, and apoptosis of immune cells, as well as the activities of antibodies. Owing to glycan complexity, the study of glycosylation is challenging. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a state-of-the-art technology which is ideally suited to investigating glycosylation, because of its ultra-high sensitivity and resolution, as well as its ability to analyze individual molecules in a complex, heterogeneous mixture. In this thesis, mass spectrometry was used to investigate the abnormal glycosylation of two newly discovered immune disorders: a hyper IgE syndrome and a congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG). In the hyper IgE syndrome, a total set of glycans on leukocytes was analysed (glycomic studies). A reduction in tri- and tetra-antennary glycans was observed in the patients. In addition, substantially increased levels of hybrid glycans were detected in a patient with more severe symptoms, and decreased fucosylation was found on their neutrophils. Site specific glycosylation analysis (glycoproteomic studies) was done on IgE, and 6 of 7 potential N-glycosylation sites on this antibody were mapped, which did not show significant glycosylation changes. In the CDG, tri-glucosylated high mannose glycans were observed, which helped the identification of an ER glucosidase I defect. Mass spectrometry was also used to investigate engineered antibodies which are designed to treat immune disorders. A dramatic increase in sialylation was observd in an IgG1 after introducing point mutations in the Fc region, and a considerable amount of high mannose glycans were detected in an IgG1 hexamer.

Whey protein and sodium caseinate play a vital role in many food systems and exhibit multifunctional properties in food processing which enhance physical and nutritional values. The main functional properties, such as water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, foaming, and emulsification, are important charicteristics in food development and production. Among all of the commercially avaliable protein ingredients, both whey protein isolate and sodium caseinate, which are sourced from bovine milk, are widely used as protein ingredients for industial production, such as yogurt and baking products. These milk protein ingredients are nutritious, used for the building and repairing of tissues, fighting against infections, and providing energy for metabolism. Whey protein is obtained from cheese processing by-product-whey. Broadening whey protein’s application is beneficial for dairy industry sustainability and the valorisation of whey protein as a functional ingredient. The functional properties of these proteins are based on their biomolecular structures, which can be modified by several compositional and processing factors. Blackcurrant is abundant in health beneficial phytochemicals, such as vitamin C, polyphenols, and anthocyanins. Due to the intense sour taste, fresh blackcurrant fruits are always processed into juice concentrate for further food application. The bioactive compounds in blackcurrant juice concentrate are unstable in a free form, especially when they undergo further food processing conditions, and also in the human digestive systems. This can contribute to a low bioaccessibility and bioavailability for its health benefit components, especially anthocyanins. The development of further applications for blackcurrant juice concentrate in a food system is of vital importance to aid the sustainable development of the blackcurrant crop industry, and bringing the goodness of this fruit to a wider population. Combinations of common protein ingredients with fruits and vegetables concentrates or extracts are regarded as an effective ingredient to create novel protein products, to explore the application of concentrates or extracts from fruits and vegetables. Many studies have focused on the modification of protein structures, and the alteration of protein functionalities under controlled conditions. However, few studies have focused on the development of novel protein ingredients in a food-compatible manner, and their further incorporation in real food system. Whey protein isolate and sodium caseinate have been commonly used as delivery systems for functional components due to their wide availability, nutritional values, and protective effects on sensitive bioactive components. In this study, blackcurrant juice concentrate was encapsulated via spray-drying and freeze-drying strategies by utilising whey protein isolate or sodium caseinate as the wall material without applying any food additives, obtaining four different kinds of novel protein ingredients (SWB, FWB, SNaB, FNaB) with different physicochemical, functional, and nutritional characteristics. The nutritional, physicochemical and functional properties of these ingredients were determined and defined. The results indicated that these ingredients could be used as natural colourants, protein enhancers, antioxidants, replacement of carbohydrate. The novel functional protein powders were then further incorporated into real food matrix-cookie at various levels (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%) to develop functional snack (cookie). Dough and cookie physicochemical properties, and cookie nutritional qualities were determined. The protein ingredients gave cookie products with different colour and texture, increased antioxidant power, and most importantly generated hypoglyceamic effects. Collectively, these results illustrate that blackcurrant concentrate health benefits can be delivered to food systems via milk protein ingredients-based encapsulates

This research aims to examine how, and to what extent, the advanced network technology such as custom-built large-scale network, or internet-based technology contribute to the correlations between supply chain drivers and performance measures. The uniqueness of the research is to use network technology as a leverage factor, instead of merely one of the supply chain drivers, to analyse how it would impact on the correlations between supply chain drivers and performance measures. Through literature review, we identified the key drivers in supply chain and the key performance indicators as independent and dependent variables respectively for data analysis in the research. We consider the utilisation of network technology as a selection variable in the analysis. We also proposed a set of research questions and hypotheses resulting from the literature review. The subsequent data analyses attempted to find answers for these questions and test the validity of the hypotheses. This was achieved by a field survey for 1035 major Australian firms through a structured questionnaire. The response rate of the survey was 20.8%. All these data were analysed with statistical models such as reliability test, multi-collinearity test, MANOVA procedures, factor analysis, and multiple regression modelling to validate whether the survey was robust and how the leverage factor (network technology) would impact on the correlations between supply chain drivers and performance measures. Each research question and hypothesis was reviewed, validated, and concluded based on the results from data analysis. The key findings from the data analysis support the perception that the network technologies with their external customers and suppliers dramatically affect the correlations between supply chain drivers and performance measures. Statistically it actually determines whether the supply chain will success or fail when comparing firms using the technologies with firms not using them. In general, the impact on the correlations is directional and positive. A set of validated theoretical models was also proposed to depict the dynamics between supply chain variables under the influence of network technology. Implications of the findings are also provided in the thesis.

The reservoir quality of sedimentary rocks is closely related to diagenesis, a process involving post-depositional alteration of freshly deposited sediments. Present-day rock properties such as porosity, permeability, pore-size distribution, and information on heterogeneity and spatial correlation of variables can be the products of diagenetic modification of original (paleo-) properties. Other than compaction, the most important property-modifying diagenetic processes are chemical reactions between minerals and migrating pore fluids. Fluid-mineral reaction is a dynamic process that involves many effects: complex fluid flow, pore space evolution, surface chemistry, and mineralogy. We have developed a pore network model to incorporate essential features necessary to describe the process. The general idea behind the model is to approximate the description of the pore space, surface reaction, diffusion, pore growth/shrinkage, and movement of fluids therein by a small set of parameters and simple rules governing the complex alteration of rocks in situ. A two-dimensional pore network consists of narrow 'pore throats', modeled as laminar-flow tube reactors, and wider 'pore bodies', modeled as stirred-tank reactors. The fluid flow field is controlled by interconnected pore throats. Pore bodies and pore throats either grow or shrink as chemical reaction proceeds at their surfaces. The rate of growth or shrinkage is governed by the transport from the fluid to the pore surface and reaction kinetics at the surface. One advantage of the network approach is that crucial issues such as the complexities of surface reaction and transport in the pore space, development of secondary porosity and evolution of permeability are included. Other advantages are that the relative importance of each variable can be evaluated quantitatively and factors that previously have not been thought to be important now become apparent. The fully developed network model also possesses a predictive capability beyond its explanatory function. The main practical application of all this is accurate prediction of secondary porosity type and its relation to permeability in potential hydrocarbon reservoirs for exploration and production. In this study the network model is employed to simulate diagenetic processes of two types of rocks: dolomitization from carbonate rocks and calcite cementation of sandstones. The results show the origin of dolomite, permeability reduction of sandstone by cementation, time evolution of pore growth/shrinkage patterns, nature of pore-size distribution, degree of heterogeneity and spatial correlation, secondary porosity and permeability development.