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Direct-fired supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles offer emissions-free electricity production from the combustion of fossil fuels. Chemical kinetic mechanisms are validated for combustion at lower pressures and much lower CO2 concentrations. The work critically investigates the ability of existing chemical kinetic mechanisms to simulate combustion under these conditions. This is done by investigating ignition delay time (IDT) data recorded using the shock tube experimental technique. The first key chapter of this Thesis details the development of a new High-Pressure Kinetic Shock Tube (HPST) at the University of Sheffield's (UoS) Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC). The HPST will be utilised for the research of high-pressure chemical kinetics. The project was delivered in the summer of 2022, with commissioning taking until the end of the year. The HPST will be used in a variety of research projects at the TERC from the combustion of supercritical CO2, ammonia, and synthetic aviation fuels. Chapter 3 details the development of a new chemical kinetic mechanism for modelling combustion in CO2. The University of Sheffield sCO2 mechanism (UoS sCO2) was developed based on IDT datasets of methane, hydrogen, and syngas. The UoS sCO2 Mechanism was developed and shown through a detailed qualitative analysis to be on average a better fit to the datasets measured for each of the three fuels. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on the validation of the UoS sCO2 2.0, the second iteration of the mechanism in collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Eight IDT datasets for both hydrogen and syngas and ten for methane and methane hydrogen blends were recorded using the KAUST HighPressure Shock Tube between 20 and 40 bar. This data and subsequent modelling analysis are essential to the detailed understanding of the fundamentals of combustion in CO2.

The regulation of gene expression is a complex process that confers cell identity and drives cell differentiation. Transcription factors (TFs) are an important modulator of gene expression and are critical to understanding the regulatory code characterising cell behaviour. However, TFs function in cooperation with one another, acting as a complex combinatorial code to enact gene regulation. Gene regulatory network (GRN) models are used to describe the regulation of genes and to account for this combinatorial code. When the regulatory code underpinning normal cell behaviour goes awry this can lead to abnormal GRNs and the development of disease. This poses two questions: how does TF cooperation drive cellular processes, and how are normal GRNs deregulated in disease? Haematopoietic stem cells are first established in the developing embryo through a process known as the endothelial-to-haematopoietic transition (EHT). EHT involves dynamic gene regulation across well-defined populations, and is critically dependent on the master TF regulator, RUNX1. EHT is therefore a fascinating system to study TF regulation in driving a complex developmental process. When haematopoietic GRNs are misregulated this can lead to disease. A common childhood leukaemia involves chromosomal rearrangements resulting in novel Mixed Lineage Leukaemia (MLL) fusion proteins that aberrantly drive transcription. MLLrearranged leukaemias are considered a wholly transcriptional disease, and as such are uniquely suited for studying through GRN approaches. In this thesis, the study of GRNs underpinning normal and malignant haematopoietic processes revealed insights into the role of TF cooperation. Notably, Runx1 cooperates with TFs to drive repression of a transiently activated network during EHT. In MLL-AF4 leukaemia, MLL-AF4 drives TF cooperation by altering the chromatin environment and encouraging local TF binding, and within this MLL-AF4 context RUNX1 activity is biased towards activation. RUNX1 was also found to cooperate with MYB to synergistically activate BCL2 and MYC, promoting leukaemogenesis.

Pickering emulsions, stabilised by organic or inorganic particles, offer long-term dispersibility of liquid droplets and resistance to coalescence. The versatility of stabilising particles, their external stimulus-response, and their ability to encapsulate and release cargo with high internal payload capacity make them attractive in applications ranging from catalysis to the cosmetic and food industry, and of enormous promise for pharmaceutical and clinical use. Magnetically responsive Pickering emulsions show excellent capabilities for biomedical applications, due to their controlled remote movement and/or destabilisation with an applied magnetic field. Despite this promise, more proof-of- concept research is needed to enable these emulsions to become responsive to an external stimulus. To this end, the work herein encompasses all aspects of the development of magnetically responsive Pickering emulsions, namely (I) the optimisation of suitable magnetic nanoparticles building blocks, (II) their formulation into stable emulsions, and (III) an investigation of the resulting magnetophoretic behaviour. Initial work investigated the preparation and formulation of silica-stabilised Pickering emulsions by evaluating different oils and homogenisation techniques. Silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs, 50 nm) were prepared via the Stöber method, were used in formulations with different oils, with isopropyl myristate identified as the most compatible. Emulsification preparation routes were examined with ultrasonication and rotor-stator homogenisation, in order to prepare emulsions that were oil-in-water (o/w) droplets must be homogenous and between 10 to 50 µm in size. Pickering emulsions prepared using ultrasonic homogenisation were small, with a mean droplet diameter of 4 µm. Those prepared using homogenisation had a mean droplet diameter of 10 µm with a shorter preparation time. This work illustrated that small changes in preparation parameters could result in PEs with varying properties. Magnetic nanocomposites were prepared of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) coated with silica, which protected surface oxidation and provided improved colloidal and surface properties. The reproducible synthesis of monodisperse, single-core SPION coated with a silica shell of controlled thickness was investigated using design of experiments (DoE). Herein, a 3^3 full factorial design was utilised to study the experimental parameters of the reverse microemulsion route, studying the influence that reactant concentration of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), and the number of fractionated additions of TEOS had on the silica shell. This investigation facilitated a reproducible and controlled approach for the high-yield synthesis of SPION@SiO2 NPs with uniform silica shell thickness. Application of a multiple linear regression analysis established a relationship between the applied experimental variables and the resulting silica shell thickness. These experimental variables were similarly found to dictate the monodispersity of the SPION@SiO2 NPs formed. While the synthesis of NPs can be a complicated and demanding process to understand, by implementing DoE the intricate reaction process can be studied and modelled. Following the preparation of SPION@SiO2 NPs (with a size of 50 nm), they were used to generate magnetically responsive Pickering emulsions, whose magnetic response was investigated at the macroscopic and microscopic scales. For macroscopic studies, the bulk emulsion was exposed to a bar magnet with magnetic field strength (B) of 245 mT. Microscopic studies investigated the magnetophoretic response of the droplets travelling towards the magnet source. Different parameters affecting magnetophoresis including magnetic field strength, the temperature of the system, and droplet size were explored; increasing each of these parameters was observed to increase the velocity of the droplets' movement towards the magnet. A 3^2 central composite design (CCD) was used to establish a relationship between the formulation of the Pickering emulsion and the magnetophoretic response, evaluating the concentration of SPION@SiO2 NPs dispersed in water. Regression analysis found that the total distance travelled, the mean square displacement, and velocity were dependent on the interaction term between the mass of SPION@SiO2 and the water fraction. This body of work provides insights into the production and use of particles to form magnetic Pickering emulsions, whose magnetic response has been mapped for external forces and internal formulation control. The unique contribution of this work sets to develop an experimental model for the design of nanoparticles, by utilising a statistical approach it was possible to determine how experimental factors in fluence the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles. A similar statistical approach was implemented to understand how the magnetic response of emulsions could be fine tuned with respect to magnetic strength and temperature. This work is the first of its kind and intends to provide a platform for the fundamental understanding and better design for this family of materials.

This thesis investigates how self-regulated will-writers construct their sense of professionalism, professional work and professional identity based on the experiences and the understanding of self-regulated will-writers. Using the lens of social constructionism to inform the planning and execution of an exploratory study allowed a rich level of knowledge and understanding of how the self-regulated will-writers construct their sense of professionalism and professional identity. Literature on professionals, professional identity and professionalism and primary sourced data undertaken with will-writers assist with exploring how self-regulated will-writers can be characterised and how they should be conceptualised. The semi-structured interviews allowed for in-depth discussions with will-writers and gave room for reflection and consideration of some of the richer and more abstract concepts concerning how self-regulated will-writers construct their profession and how they create their sense of professional identity. This thesis makes two empirical contributions and one theoretical contribution to knowledge. First, there is scant literature as to the nature of the occupation of will-writing and this research provides unique insights into the character of self-regulated will-writers. Second, this thesis offers an original and distinctive way of considering how will-writers constructed and made sense of themselves as professionals and contributes to the literature on professionalism. Third, the theoretical contribution of this research shows the value of understanding self-regulated will-writers through the lens of social constructionism. This research provides an original and clear contribution to knowledge by using the research findings to offer a new understanding of professionals as having a marginal professional identity in occupations where they operate on the fringes of more established professionals. Using the knowledge and understanding of the experience and insights of self-regulated will-writers to view them as having a marginal professional identity offers a new and insightful way of thinking about members of occupations that operate on the periphery of established and traditional professions such as law and medicine.

Widespread changes in gene expression accompany vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic switching, a hallmark of vascular disease. Upon insult, VSMCs downregulate contractile proteins and upregulate genes linked to vascular remodelling, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, the epigenetic mechanisms which regulate VSMC phenotypic switching remain unclear. This thesis explores the role of histone 3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2), a repressive epigenetic mark, in regulating the expression of disease-associated VSMC genes. Intriguingly, murine models of VSMC phenotypic switching revealed reduced levels of H3K9me2 upon loss of the contractile state while chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) identified a subset of IL-1α/injury-responsive VSMC gene promoters enriched for H3K9me2. To test the functional importance of H3K9me2 for VSMC gene regulation the methyltransferase G9A/GLP was pharmacologically inhibited in vitro and in vivo. The resulting loss of H3K9me2 attenuated the expression of contractile VSMC markers and significantly potentiated IL-1α/injury-induced expression of MMP and pro-inflammatory genes. H3K9me2-mediated regulation of contractile and IL-1α-responsive VSMC gene expression was confirmed in cultured human VSMCs (hVSMCs). This prompted the use of hVSMCs to investigate the mechanism underlying H3K9me2-dependent regulation of IL-1α-mediated VSMC genes. Interestingly, G9A/GLP inhibition did not influence the level of IL-1α-induced nuclear localisation of the NFkB transcription factor p65 but significantly increased IL-1α-induced p65 binding to the IL6 promoter, correlating with reduced H3K9me2 levels. In contrast, enrichment of p65 was not observed at reported NFkB sites within the MMP3 promoter after IL-1α stimulation. Rather, IL-1α-induced MMP3 expression was dependent on JNK activity and G9A/GLP inhibition potentiated IL-1α-induced binding of the AP-1 transcription factor cJUN to the MMP3 promoter. Collectively, these findings suggest that H3K9me2 plays a role in maintaining the contractile VSMC state and prevents binding of both NFkB and AP-1 transcription factors at specific IL-1α-regulated genes to possibly block spurious induction of a pro-inflammatory state.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) are chronic suppurative lung diseases (CSLD). CF is characterised by inherited mutations affecting the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein, which is thought to be normal in PCD, however the role of CFTR in disease is incompletely understood. This thesis investigates the relationship between CFTR, inflammation and airway health, firstly in the context of the CF gene therapy Multidose trial followed by contrasting CF, PCD and control patients. The first study explored the relationship between lower airway potential difference (LAPD) measurements performed in the Multidose trial as a measure of CFTR function, and physiological, radiographic and inflammatory markers of disease severity. At baseline, FEV1 correlated with basal LAPD measurements, however not between restored chloride secretion and change in airway disease following treatment; implicating the role of sodium transport, not chloride in disease pathogenesis. As no direct correlation was seen, I went on to explore an alternative theory that a bi-directional relationship exists between CFTR and inflammation; CFTR dysfunction triggers a hyper-inflammatory state and inflammation causes secondary CFTR dysfunction. Cell cultures were cultivated from the nasal epithelium of patients with CF, PCD and controls. Both at baseline and following stimulation with common respiratory pathogens, the levels of inflammatory mediators in the supernatant from each group of cells were comparable. The numbers involved with this study were small, however did not indicate that CF cells cultured in these conditions (in vitro) were hyper-inflammatory. The final study explored in vivo whether inflammation causes secondary CFTR dysfunction. Nasal potential difference (NPD) measurements were compared with localised levels of inflammation in subjects with CF, PCD and controls. PCD traces showed reduced chloride secretion, however it was not possible to differentiate secondary CFTR dysfunction from damage to epithelial cell integrity. Elevated levels of inflammatory mediators were detected in PCD nasal fluid, however the results were variable and these levels did not correlate with NPD measurements of ion channel function. These studies did not support the hypothesis that there is a direct relationship between CFTR function and airway disease, that in vitro CF cells are hyperinflammatory, or in vivo that inflammation leads to secondary CFTR dysfunction. The experiments performed in this thesis provide a basis for future work exploring this relationship, and may help guide future trials for novel therapies in CF.

This study investigates the significance of Aristotelian virtue in teaching and learning in music performance. In response to a number of critical issues in professional practice, it is argued that virtue, framed within eudaimonistic happiness, should form an integral part of teaching and learning. Through an examination of Aristotle’s analysis of virtue, and primarily through his Nicomachean Ethics, virtue is presented as having the hallmarks of dynamic and responsive action and therefore as being of potential interest to teachers of music. Having acknowledged that music performance can be a particularly challenging arena, this study also considers why Aristotle, via his analysis in Politics of the reasons for educating students in music, provides further underlying reasons for its inclusion. By considering the work of one of his students, Aristoxenus, the investigation also establishes that here in Aristotle is a philosopher-teacher who is, we can be reassured, very much an informed music ‘amateur’. Noting the twofold importance that Aristotle gives to music in education, that is, how music contributes to our development and the worthwhile nature of understanding music for itself, the discussion explores and clarifies the notion of music performance. A range of frameworks are analysed and, after Godlovitch, personalism is defended as a framework. This is significant because personalism recognises the individual as both musician and human being. Thus, the demands, on both character and intellect, emerge strongly here as they do in Nicomachean Ethics. Having established that music performance is demanding, of both character and intellect, the virtue of courage is argued as crucial. The Aristotelian notion of courage is tested and its reaches extended, partly through the analysis of case studies. Ultimately, it is posited that courageous action forms part of eudaimonistic happiness. This study also considers Egan’s theory that intellectual disturbance occurs during stages of learning, thus providing further demands. It is argued that, in responding to such disturbance, teachers’ practice should embody characteristics of Aristotelian practical wisdom. In this way, it is posited that teachers act as valuable role models, both to their students and to their colleagues, including those colleagues new to the profession. With these challenges now identified and analysed, music performance is conceptualised as gift making. Importantly, this contributes to foregrounding the significant aspect of pleasure that is integral to Aristotelian virtuous action. The discussion closes by providing a defence of the position that Aristotelian virtue is of significance to teachers and students as they navigate their daily existence within the world of music performance.

This thesis examines the phenomenon of performance in dance and music as experienced by the performer. Previous research studies have generally been directed towards examining specific facets of dance and music performance, with a lack of understanding concerning the performer's experiences of them. Although these studies have often focused on gaining insight into what constitutes a performance, their attention to isolated aspects of performance has precluded understanding of how these elements form the experience of the performer in a holistic sense. Inspired by a personal quest for insight into the subjective awareness of what underlies dance and music performance, the following thesis aims to better understand the phenomenon of performance from the perspective of the performing dancer and musician. In strengthening the originality of this research, the qualitative and quantitative research paradigms provided a framework that allowed in-depth exploration of the phenomenon under investigation. Two qualitative research studies, together with a questionnaire, were carried out to investigate the thoughts and perceptions of the performer in relation to what it means to be a performer and more generally on the phenomenon of performance. This thesis also includes two separate chapters on the concepts of performance enhancement and reflective practice with a view to establishing whether they might usefully be applied within the artistic disciplines of dance and music. Findings from the two research studies and questionnaire revealed that performers place high importance on the concept of the 'self', which they experience and perceive differently as an 'individual', a 'person' and a 'performer'. Performers were also shown to view themselves as embodied entities, evincing a strong sense of individuality and a subjective awareness of being a performer, alongside conveying technical and expressive abilities. Findings illustrate the subjective nature of how participants experience and understand performance and performing, revealing the potential for application to other artistic disciplines. It is hoped that, through offering performers the opportunity to speak openly about what is of importance to them, researchers and educators might productively address the components that exist within the experience of the performer, in order to better and more widely understand the performer and the phenomenon of performance.

Introduction: Deaths due to chronic liver disease have increased significantly in recent decades. This is due to increases in alcohol consumption and obesity during this time period, and insensitive screening tests (liver function blood tests) utilised in primary care. This thesis describes a new liver disease community diagnostic pathway which focussed upon defined risk factors for chronic liver disease and uses Transient Elastography (TE) as the primary investigation modality. The aims of the thesis are to assess the feasibility of this pathway for detecting liver disease due to alcohol or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease within the United Kingdom healthcare system, to quantify the number of new cases detected with this approach and to evaluate patient experience of these investigations. Methods: Following a systematic review of the literature, an investigation pathway was derived and piloted in 4 general practice sites in Nottinghamshire in two phases between February 2012 and September 2014. Patients with hazardous alcohol use, type 2 diabetes or persistently raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level and negative liver serology were eligible for study. TE was performed in the community; a liver stiffness reading of ≥8 kilopascals defined clinically significant liver disease and subsequent review in a consultant led community clinic. Risk factors for new diagnoses of liver disease and cirrhosis were identified and the association with obesity investigated. A qualitative interview substudy was conducted to explore the experiences of 20 patients undergoing investigation. Results: In a total adult population of 20,868 patients, 2,022 patients were eligible for study of whom 909 (45%) underwent TE. Valid liver stiffness measurements were possible in 98% of patients. Overall, 230 cases of elevated liver stiffness and 27 new cases of cirrhosis were identified. Minimum cirrhosis prevalence in patients with type 2 diabetes was 2%. Obesity was significantly associated with diagnosis of cirrhosis in type 2 diabetics (odds ratio 9.4 (95% CI 2.2-40.9)) and hazardous alcohol users (OR 5.6 (95% CI 1.6-19.7)). The majority of new cases of liver disease had normal ALT levels. From the initial pilot phase in two general practices in Rushcliffe (Nottingham), in which liver function test data from 378 patients undergoing TE was analysed, 72.4% with elevated liver stiffness measurement, 60% with biopsy proven cirrhosis and 90% with cirrhosis diagnosis had normal ALT. Patients felt that TE was a useful adjunct to lifestyle change and described a positive experience of liver disease investigation. Conclusion: A new non-invasive diagnostic pathway for liver disease was feasible to implement in Nottinghamshire primary care and resulted in significantly increased diagnosis of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. These findings warrant exploration of the pathway in a larger primary care population.

The aim of this work is to determine whether any zero temperature features of the scalar potential strongly influence the finite temperature properties of the electroweak phase transition. In particular, we address whether one can get an arbitrarily strong phase transition from zero temperature effects. We investigate a variety of models of varying complexity. For the models we look into, we successfully determine that the vacuum energy difference at zero temperature has a direct influence on the critical temperature. This leads to arbitrarily strong phase transitions, subject to the caveat that sliding behaviour does not occur. What we call sliding behaviour is the scenario in which the broken vacuum destabilises under thermal corrections before reaching the critical temperature. The parameter subspace in which sliding behaviour does occur often leads to significantly weakened phase transitions. For a more detailed investigation of the phase transition one must look at the thermal decay of the false vacuum. Choosing a non-supersymmetric real singlet extension to the Standard Model, called the xSM, we detail by example how one can systematically investigate some non-trivial phase transition properties. The specific model we adopt is the Z2xSM which has a Z2 discrete symmetry imposed on the singlet as well as the Higgs field. We focus on the non-sliding parameter subspace, which has a minimal zero temperature parameter space of only three free parameters. For this setup, the depth of the potential at zero temperature has a one-to-one mapping with the strength of the phase transition at critical temperature so we can trivially choose the strength. This allows for a systematic approach to investigating very strong phase transitions and their connection to the amount of supercooling, latent heat, bubble nucleation rate, and a hydrodynamical friction parameter. We also trace out the parameter region in which runaway bubbles are expected and discuss the implications for gravitational wave production.

Plautus’ Epidicus focuses on the titular cunning slave, who is on stage for all but 15 of these first 305 lines, and his attempts to rescue himself from certain punishment, after his initial scheme almost collapses with news of a change of heart from his young master. He brings about a dizzying number of deceptions to extricate himself, eventually winning his freedom at the expense of virtually every other character. This commentary aims to recuperate what has all too often been seen as one of Plautus’ minor works, by demonstrating how several alleged incongruities have been misinterpreted, how Epidicus controls and shapes the many plots and plans of this breakneck play, and how the compactness of this drama makes for a unique and compelling comedy. The focus is on the performance and dramatic value of Epidicus, bringing in approaches which have developed since George Duckworth’s 1940 commentary, the last in English. The format enables both line-by-line discussion of the text and approaches to sections and scenes as a whole. Linguistic, metrical and textual discussion are brought to the play anew, building on recent research to not merely explain what the quirks of Plautus’ language, metre and text are, but what it is they do. In all, this thesis aims to fulfil Malcolm Willcock’s desideratum for ‘any general view that this is actually a well conceived, witty and enjoyable play’ – and indeed to provide not merely a general view of its worth, but a detailed and thorough approach to its excellence.

In recent years there has been a renewal of interest in subsidising agricultural inputs and public health products to achieve various social, economic and public health objectives. Despite numerous justifications, implementers face a range of practical challenges that can significantly undermine the achievement of policy or programme goals. At the centre of these challenges lie the issues of targeting and how to maximise incremental increases in ownership and use of the products being subsidised, over the short and longer-term. This thesis adopts a cross-sector approach to the identification of its research questions and methodological approaches, drawing on both the agricultural and health literatures, exploring the potential for cross-sector learning. The empirical research is based around Malawi's Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) and the Tanzania National Voucher Scheme (TNVS) for mosquito nets. Concentration curves and concentration indices, as used in the health literature, are adapted to estimate the socioeconomic-related inequality at key stages in the transmission of fertiliser subsidies to farmers in the FISP, complemented by a qualitative investigation of the key determinants of outcomes at these stages using semi-structured interviews. The impact of the TNVS on demand for unsubsidised mosquito net purchases is then explored using non-linear multivariate regression to estimate a household demand model, as applied in the agricultural input subsidy literature. Overall, the results highlight the numerous challenges associated with targeting agricultural and health subsidy programmes and subsequent implications. In particular, the analysis on the FISP urges caution in the use of community-based targeting in certain contexts, while that on the TNVS encourages greater investigation of what more can be done to ensure that subsidies lead to higher incremental increases in ownership and use of the products being subsidised. As a whole, the thesis demonstrates the utility of a crosssector approach to research.

This study is a small scale research project exploring the narratives of three young males who have spent time in a young offender institution. Qualitative research in this area is sparse, and the quantitative research which exists does not portray the complexities of the lives of these young people. There is little research which emphasises the voice of young people who have offended, therefore within this research I aimed to privilege the voices of the participants and to gain an in-depth understanding of their experiences. I adopted a social constructionist position in the research, acknowledging that all of the design, the co-construction of the narratives and the interpretation of the stories, were heavily influenced by me as the researcher. Using a voice-centred relational model of narrative analysis, adapted from the Listening Guide (Brown & Gilligan, 1993), I explored how the participants’ identities were constructed and how they were positioned within the stories, discussing how their narratives relate to dominant discourses about young people who have offended. The research was extremely challenging, both in respect of gaining ethical consent and in engaging participants. Reflection on these barriers formed an important part of the research, and may go some way to explaining the dearth of research carried out directly with the young people themselves. Power relations are discussed, highlighting the need for a more nuanced understanding of the limitations in claims of empowerment within research with young people and identifying the benefits and limitations of using a narrative approach in educational psychology practice.

AIMS: The aims of this research are to explore the effects of brief antenatal psychotherapy on the reduction of the number interventions and complications of childbirth. Also, the exploration of the in-depth understanding of antenatal anxiety, the tracking of psychic change in pregnancy and finally, the identification of service dimensions to be improved, when working with women with antenatal anxiety.

This thesis contends that a number of popular Hollywood films from the 1990s present evidence of a transformation in the legitimate ways of acting for white heterosexual men in contemporary Western metropolitan society. I argue that the transformation is intimately tied to the rising dominance of what I call a neoliberal ‘narrative of legitimation’. What is significant about my intervention, and distinguishes it from previous studies of representations of masculinity in film, is the use of the theoretical lens of legitimation and my focus upon late capitalism as a normalising principle. Each of the four chapters is dedicated to a close reading of a single film, Falling Down, Se7en, American Psycho and Fight Club. Through an interrogation of the films, as well as an appraisal of the critical literature that has responded to them, I will argue that a fundamental change has taken place in the legitimate expectations, motivations and justifications that inform the representation of masculinity in late-twentieth-century Hollywood cinema. The necessity for such a change is framed in the films as a response to an urban environment represented as a cynical, indifferent and chaotic hell that has to be resigned to as the only ‘real’ reality. My analysis proposes that through the narrative trajectory of these films conflicting models of masculine conduct are put forward yet successively abandoned, leaving only a single model that is fully aligned to neoliberal ends. This model abandons any attachment to family, nation or community and affirms a resigned individualism that merely maintains itself, unable to attach to or affect the world around it. Such a conflict of narratives, however, also leaves open the possibility of attesting to alternative narratives incommensurable with the prevailing neoliberal narrative of legitimation.

The controversy that led to the conviction of the Puritan exorcist John Darrel for fraud in 1599 has mainly been viewed by historians in the context of the struggle between Puritans and the Church of England. Darrel’s activities have been seen as Puritan propaganda, whilst the authorities’ reaction has been seen as part of their campaign against Puritanism. Their clamp down on Darrel’s activities has also been seen as contributing towards increasing scepticism towards demonic possession in early modern England, especially in cases involving witchcraft. This thesis argues that the Darrel controversy cannot be read solely as a manifestation of the Puritan/establishment conflict, as it will demonstrate how the controversy was actually part of the broader re-assessment of the role of the supernatural in the contemporary world following the Reformation, and that anti-Catholicism, in particular hostility towards the Catholic rite of exorcism, played a significant role in informing sceptical attitudes towards demonic possession. Focussing upon the work of the Puritan preachers John Deacon and John Walker, it will also challenge the Puritan/establishment dichotomy over possession. Their work denied the possibility of possession in their own time by drawing on and elaborating existing medical, natural philosophical and theological arguments, particularly the doctrine of the cessation of miracles. Their work was significant because it was the first work that systematically explored the intricacies of the phenomenon of possession, and it offered an alternative way of thinking about demonic affliction, namely the category of obsession. Writings that appeared following the Darrel controversy demonstrate an awareness of Deacon and Walker’s arguments, and also reveal how the idea of obsession was absorbed into broader demonological thought, thus highlighting how Deacon and Walker’s work was much more significant than has previously been thought.

This thesis aims to establish a greater understanding of the effects of the single-sided robotic tufting process on component manufacturing costs and weight, and subsequently determine whether potential economic benefits can be realised through its implementation. To complete this assessment, the study uses the novel composite rib post application of the Next Generation Composite Wing (NGCW) project as an example case, investigating the component’s manufacturing cost, performance and weight relative to those of a non-tufted rib post with the same initial fabric layup, and a prepreg rib post with the same fibre orientation and fibre volume fraction. Detailed analyses of the tufted composite rib post manufacturing process have established the relationships between its manufacturing activities and the consumed resources, facilitating the creation of a novel cost model incorporating algorithms defining the robotic tufting process, which may be adapted for different geometries and tuft parameters. In addition, novel permeability data for the considered tufted preform have been obtained experimentally allowing the simulation of the liquid composite manufacturing process. The insertion of tufting in the studied arrangement was shown to decrease the in-plane permeability of the preform, reducing the characteristic by a factor of 3.5 in the direction perpendicular to the tuft seams, and 1.8 in the direction parallel. Completing structural analyses and further cost modelling, the study considers the manufacturing costs and weight of each of the studied components when performance is normalised. Implementing weight penalties including lifetime fuel consumption and lifetime revenue, appreciation is given to the potential lifetime costs generated by each of the structural solutions. Comparing the amalgamated costs of each component, relative economy has been evaluated both when considering equipment amortisation and also the use of pre-amortised equipment. Considering lifetime fuel cost/kg as the weight penalty, the novel composite rib post has greater economy within the pure pull-off load case without tufting due to its lower manufacturing costs. However, with the consideration of a more significant weight penalty, such as potential increased lifetime revenue, the use of the novel composite rib post results in superior economy, its lifetime cost/part is estimated to be 14% less than the component without tufting and 61% less than the lifetime cost/part of the prepreg component. Critical evaluations of the project’s methodologies have highlighted the various assumptions made due to the limitations of available information and means to perform certain validations. Under these circumstances the assumptions are believed to be the best representations of what is experienced in reality. As far as possible, errors believed to be the result of assumptions have been accounted for in rigorous error analyses to establish their propagation through the various calculations performed. These analyses have provided confidence in the results of the study, ensuring the significance of the determined economical differences between the investigated components.

The present document examines eight musical works for various instruments and ensembles, composed between 2007 and 2011. Brief summaries of each work’s program are followed by discussions of instrumentation and orchestration, and analysis of pitch organization. Discussions of instrumentation and orchestration explore the composer’s approach to diversification of instrumental ensembles by the inclusion of non-orchestral instruments, and redefinition of traditional hierarchies among instruments in a standard ensemble or orchestral setting. Analyses of pitch organization detail various ways in which the composer renders diatonic musical lines atonal, or situates diatonic pitch materials in contexts of greater chromaticism.

In this thesis a series of model frustrated magnets have been investigated. Their common parent is the spin ice model, which is transformed into the kagome ice and square ice models in two-dimensions, and an Ising spin chain model in one-dimension. These models have been examined with particular interest in the spin ordering transitions induced by constraints on the system: a topological constraint leads, under appropriate conditions, to the Kasteleyn transition in kagome ice and a lattice freezing transition is observed in square ice which is due to a ferromagnetic ordering transition in an Ising chain induced solely by finite size effects. In all cases detailed Monte Carlo computational simulations have been carried out and compared with theoretical expressions to determine the characteristics of these transitions. In order to correctly simulate the kagome ice model a loop update algorithm has been developed which is compatible with the topological constraints in the system and permits the simulation to remain strictly on the groundstate manifold within the appropriate topological sector of the phase space. A thorough survey of the thermodynamic and neutron scattering response of the kagome ice model influenced by an arbitrary in-plane field has led to a deeper understanding of the Kasteleyn transition, and a computational model that can predict neutron scattering patterns for kagome ice materials under any experimental conditions. This model has also been shown to exhibit quantised thermodynamic properties under appropriate conditions and should provide a fertile testing ground for future work on the consequences of topological constraints and topological phase transitions. A combined investigation into the square ice and Ising chain models has revealed ordering behaviour within the lattice that may be decoupled from underlying ferromagnetic ordering and is particularly relevant to magnetic nanoarrays.

Soft tissue infection in a diabetic foot with an ulcer is often clinically obvious but the diagnosis of osteomyelitis underlying a diabetic foot ulcer is challenging. It has been calculated that there are over 1 million amputations worldwide for diabetes related complications every year, many preceded by an ulcer complicated by osteomyelitis. This research encompasses two studies attempting to add to the ways in which osteomyelitis is diagnosed. The first was examining the role of inflammatory blood markers in recognising and separating ulcers with cutaneous infection from both suspected and proven osteomyelitis. The response of the body to produce these markers when an injury occurs is well known but arguments exist as to the capacity of the individual with diabetes to do so. Despite the recognition and allowance for common confounding factors no trend was found. This study may have been more difficult than originally thought due to the many interactions of the diseased state of diabetes, the drugs used to control it and the many other confounders that would have influenced the inflammatory process and as such the level of the markers. The second study was comparing a new form of scanning technique (SPECT/CT) to the technique most commonly used as a ‘gold standard’ – MRI. The results of each type of scan were compared to the clinical diagnosis and each other. The SPECT/CT scan appears to show some good results and may be a more suitable scan for individuals who are unable to have a MRI for example due to the need to introduce a renally excreted drug to help make the images clearer but it does mean introducing a small amount of radiation into the individual.

This thesis critically examines the dynamics of the relationship between the World Bank and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) within the Multi-Country AIDS Program (MAP) in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The main aim of the thesis is to explore this relationship as a means of confronting the contention between academic theory and Bank rhetoric on engagement, and practice, and how this contributes to understanding the role of CSOs within global governance.