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The thesis examines women's agency in early-career museum employment through a post-structural lens using gender performativity. Gender performativity has been central to debates concerning the (re)production of gender inequality in the workplace, particularly on the subversion of power that arises through the relation between constraint and agency. However, little is understood about agency within the theory, including its frequency, impact, or space/capacity for people to exercise agency. To develop this gap, the thesis uses data from 25 in-depth interviews with 20 women occupying early-career roles in Scottish Museums: A context with pervasive vertical gender segregation but has been relatively unexamined. Interviews were unstructured, lasting on average 75 minutes each, and analysed using Feminist Post-structural Discourse Analysis (Baxter, 2003). The findings indicate discourses such as 'maternal young women', 'accepted precarity' and 'managerialism and entrepreneurialism' are (re)constituted in museum employment which serve to disempower 'young' women and hinder their progression. As a result, success in museums is favoured towards men. In terms of agency, there are individualised efforts to subvert, and at times challenge these discourses, with relative success found with women who sustain their efforts over time. However, there were few instances of changes to the (re)constituting effects of these discourses. Theoretically, the thesis develops performativity by identifying how often women's agency is found, the impact agency has on workplace and gender discourses, and how agency is allowed/constrained in time. Workplace discourses are also suggested to be more malleable than those found in wider society. Through this, there is a deeper understanding of agency within gender performativity theory. Empirically, the research provides an insight in to the lived experiences of women in early-career museum employment, an area which has not been fully researched until now.

The efficient functioning of the immune system is dependent on the coordinated movement and positioning of immune cells. These cells patrol the body and facilitate the clearance of pathogens, whilst maintaining self-tolerance and inducing adaptive immunity. The coordinated migration of cells into and within tissues is mediated by chemokines, a family of small chemotactic cytokines that are potent inducers of cellular movement. Chemokines and their cognate receptors have been shown to play key roles in health, and in a broad spectrum of diseases. After their secretion, chemokines can be controlled by proteases and interactions with atypical chemokine receptors that structurally resemble conventional chemokine receptors but cannot couple to the signaling pathways that they use. Instead, they are thought to degrade, transport or buffer extracellular chemokines to regulate their access to cells bearing conventional chemokine receptors. However, their functions in vivo remain to be fully defined. CCRL1, a member of the atypical chemokine receptor family, binds to CCL19, CCL21 and CCL25 and is proposed to be a scavenger of these chemokines. Post-translational regulation of these chemokines is important because their interactions with cognate, conventional receptors CCR7 and CCR9, are critical for the development and functioning of the immune system. The work in this thesis primarily explores the importance of CCRL1 in regulating CCR7 ligands, but also considers the impact of protease-mediated ‘clipping’ on the function of CCL21 and other extended chemokines. Whilst in vitro evidence, and a growing body of in vivo evidence, supports the idea that CCRL1 serves an important role in the chemokine control, the true biological function of CCRL1 remains unclear. Therefore, the principal aim of this thesis was to further our understanding of the biology of CCRL1, mainly through the characterisation of CCRL1-deficient mice. Firstly, the effect of CCRL1 deletion on dendritic cell (DC) migration from the skin was investigated. Four distinct subsets of migratory DCs were examined in skin-draining lymph nodes at steady state and after induction of cutaneous inflammation. Under inflammatory conditions, skin-derived DCs were identified by FITC painiting or by photoconverting the skin of Kaede transgenic mice. CCRL1 deficiency was found to result in a specific reduction in the abundance of Langerin+ skin-derived DCs in inguinal lymph nodes at rest, and although the initial inflammation-driven arrival of DCs at skin-draining lymph nodes showed no requirement for CCRL1, DCs that took longer to reach these organs were substantially reduced in CCRL1-deficient mice. All DC subsets were affected, but overall it was epidermal Langerhans cells that showed the greatest requirement for CCRL1. Defective DC arrival at lymph nodes was accompanied by DC retention in resting and inflamed skin, and these cells struggled to leave CCRL1 deficient skin in ex vivo ‘crawl out’ assays. Further experiments demonstrated that, as expected, DC arrival at lymph nodes draining inflamed skin was heavily dependent on CCR7 in the models being used, and that increased levels of bioavailable CCL19 and CCL21 accompanied CCRL1 deficiency in inflamed skin. This suggested CCRL1 regulates chemokine to prevent DCs from becoming disorientated in the skin and failing to efficiently egress this tissue. I hypothesised that dysregulation of CCL19 rather than CCL21 may be particularly significant because of its greater diffusivity, and strikingly, inflammation-driven DC migration defects observed in CCRL1 deficient mice were completely reversed by genetic deletion of CCL19 in the same animals. To place these findings in an anatomical context, expression of CCRL1 in skin and lymph node was explored using CCRL1+/gfp ‘knock-in’ receptor mice and anti-CCRL1 antibodies. In skin, CCRL1 was abundantly expressed by keratinocytes, and found on lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) that are traversed by migrating DC as they leave the skin. In lymph nodes draining the skin, LECs in the supcapsular sinus (SCS) were strongly CCRL1+. Although some leukocytes were found to express very low levels of eGFP in CCRL1+/gfp, the data suggested that CCRL1-mediated scavenging of CCL19 by keratinocytes and LECs facilitates CCR7-driven DC migration from resting and inflamed skin. CCRL1 expression in other secondary lymphoid tissues was examined and its role in regulating leukocyte populations residing in or around the SCS was explored. As in the inguinal lymph node, CCRL1 was restricted to the SCS LECs in other lymph nodes, such as the mesenteric lymph nodes that drains the intestine. In the spleen, endothelial cells lining venules adjacent to the white pulp marginal zone specifically expressed CCRL1. The overall cellularity and microanatomy of lymph nodes and the spleen appeared normal in CCRL1-deficient mice, as was the recruitment of CCR7+ cells into the spleen two hours after adoptive transfer. However, NK cells, iNKT cells and γδ T cells, which are thought to reside in intrafollicular regions, were less abundant in CCRL1-deficient inguinal and mesenteric lymph nodes, although they were present at normal frequency in the spleen. CD169+ macrophages are intimately associated with CCRL1+ endothelial cells in the spleen. CCRL1 deficiency had no clear impact on these cells in the inguinal lymph nodes, and only resulted in a small increase in the abundance of these cells in the spleen, without obviously affecting their position. Strikingly, however, in mesenteric lymph nodes, CD169+ macrophages, and LECs with which they associate, were far more abundant when CCRL1 had been deleted and were aberrantly distributed throughout the lymph node parenchyma. The reason this phenotype is restricted to the mesenteric lymph node is unclear, but it might be related to the fact the intestine, unlike other non-lymphoid tissues, is an abundant source of CCL25. This, along with the immunological implications of these observations, requires further investigation. There is a lot of evidence that macrophages regulate lymphangiogenesis. The close association between LECs and CD169+ macrophages in lymph nodes, and the phenotype in CCRL1-deficient mesenteric lymph nodes, stimulated experiments to explore functional interactions between these cells. Inflammation in the footpad induced lymphangiogenesis in draining popliteal and inguinal lymph nodes. When clodronated liposomes were used to specifically deplete macrophages from the popliteal lymph node of WT mice, lymphangiogenesis appeared suppressed while it continued unabated in the inguinal lymph node where the CD169+ macrophage population was intact. WT and CCRL1-deficient mice responded similarly, and although preliminary, these data suggest that CD169+ macrophages play an important role in stimulating lymph node lymphangiogenesis. In addition to the CCRL1 studies above, other mechanisms that might regulate chemokines after their secretion were explored. Work published at the beginning of my PhD showed that CCL21, which carries an extended C-terminus that anchors it to the extracellular matrix, can be cleaved by bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) to release a more freely diffusible version. These findings were reproduced here using in vitro-derived human or mouse DCs. DCs were far better at cleaving CCL21 than other leukocytes, and they could also cleave CCL2, a pro-inflammatory chemokine with an extended C-terminus. Interestingly, a truncated version of CCL21 was detected in mouse secondary lymphoid tissues. It was larger than the version generated by BMDCs in vitro, and the nature of its truncation is not clear, but this shows that CCL21 processing occurs in vivo. If this form of CCL21 is more diffusible than the full-length protein, then it might be more available for regulation by CCRL1. However, neither forms of CCL21 were more abundant in CCRL1-deficient secondary lymphoid tissues than equivalent tissues from WT mice. CCR7 plays a critical role in directing DC egress from tissues, their entry into lymph nodes, and their movement within these tissues. The work presented in this thesis provides evidence of two mechanisms that regulate CCR7 ligands: CCRL1-mediated CCL19 scavenging and DC-mediated CCL21 cleavage., It reveals that, under certain circumstances, CCRL1 is critical for facilitating DC egress from peripheral tissues to the lymph nodes, and plays an indispensible role in regulating LECs and CD169+ macrophages in lymph nodes. These studies extend our understanding of CCRL1 and the chemokine networks at work in lymph nodes and other tissues, and form the foundation on which to explore the immunological importance of the regulation of extracellular chemokines.

This thesis examines the development and implementation of Housing Action Trust (HAT) policy, with a particular emphasis on the theme of choice. When first announced, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Nick Ridley, argued that HATs would form the ‘cutting edge’ of the Government's urban regenerationin itiatives. In practice, as only six HATs were ever established, they became something much more marginal and experimental. HAT policy therefore represents a curious episode in the development of housing policy in England. The 1980s Conservative Government's political ideology had been particularly influenced by the New Right and their critique of the welfare state, which inter alia called for the removal of the local authority monopoly in the rented housing sector through the demunicipalisation of local authority housing. The first policy instrument to demunicipalise council housing was a statutory right-to-buy (RTB) for council tenants introduced in 1980. During the late 1980s, three further exit mechanisms were introduced: Tenants' Choice, HATs and voluntary transfers. Proposals for HATs were met with fierce opposition from the Labour party, local authorities and tenants. None of the first six areas intended to be designated as HATs were implemented. In March 1991, however, the first successful HAT ballot occurred in Hull, followed by a second in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in July 1991 and a third in Liverpool in August, 1992. In total six HATs were established. Chapter Two outlines the research agenda. Chapter Three discusses the major developments in housing policy during the 1980s. Building on Chapters One and Three, Chapter Four focuses specifically on HAT policy. Chapters Five to Seven examine HAT practice, with each Chapter focusing on one of the first three HATs. Chapter Eight draws conclusions.

This thesis examines the images Cyril of Alexandria uses in expressing his picture of Christ. It is divided into three parts. Part One is comprised of three chapters. Chapter One summarises Cyril's life and ministry, placing these many images within their broadest context. The second chapter explores his understanding of Scripture and his use of passages from especially the Old Testament as illustrations of various components of the Incarnational event. Chapter Three examines the images which have their background in the philosophical discussions concerning place and union. The conclusions reached in Chapters Two and Three develop a foundation on which to build a reconstruction of Cyril's Christology, the ultimate objective of the thesis. Part Two frames the structure by means of an inquiry into Cyril's rejection of Nestorianism and Apollinarianism in Chapters Four and Five, respectively. Not only are the tenets of his rejection of these heresies examined, but also the manner in which he employs images in his discussions of them. Through seeing those Christological pictures which he rejects, we are then in a position to reconstruct his picture of Christ through a reading of his Christological imagery. The third and final part, comprised of three chapters, seeks to extract from Cyril's analogies their Christological content. Chapter Six addresses his use of images to illustrate that Jesus Christ was fully God, homoousios with the Father. The seventh chapter examines his use of analogies to illustrate that Christ was also, simultaneously and completely, a human being. Tying the previous chapters together, Chapter Eight paints Cyril's picture of the person of Christ, using his images as the means by which to do so. Through this study, the thesis demonstrates that Cyril's imagery is an important part of his Christology, and provides the diligent interpreter with much rich material. Its guidance into Cyril's Christological thinking is indeed helpful in understanding the Archbishop. When considered within their intended context, they reveal to the reader an orthodox and consistent picture of Jesus Christ.

The current expansion in the application of mass spectrometry (MS) to determine the primary structures of proteins and peptides is reflected in the bulk of this thesis. At the protein level, electrospray and fast atom bombardment (FAB) MS have been integrated with conventional Edman sequencing to establish the sequences of two isoforms of annexin V co-expressed in bovine brain. Using a similar approach the sequences of plastocyanins from the cyanobacterium Scenedesmus obliquus and the blue green alga Anabaena variabilis have also been ascertained. Peptide studies focus on several post translationally modified species. N-terminal acetylation has been proven to exist in thioesterase II from rat mammary gland. The sequences of thymosin β11 and a novel isoform β12 have been determined and shown to be acetylated at their N-termini. The less common modification of N-terminal myristoylation is encountered in the analysis of a pp60src derived peptide. The formation of pyroglutamate has been proven to occur in a novel tripeptide present in human seminal fluid, together with C-terminal amidation. A study is described to identify a similar species present in rabbit prostate complex by FAB sequencing. Phosphorylation is a major post treinslational modification having an essential role in cell regulation, the phosphorylation of a peptide derived from a major substrate of protein kinase C is described. The sequences of peptides derived from bovine heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex possessing lipoic acid prosthetic modifications have been determined. The final studies of modified peptides focus on the use of FAB-MS to characterise synthetic peptides, with important advantages noted over conventional protocols. The remainder of the thesis concerns a study in the detection of chirality using FAB-MS. The differentiation of dialkyl tartrate enantiomers due to dimer effects is described, however attempts to resolve enantiomers of threonine and serine derivatives were unsuccessful.

Governor Mike Rounds had a vision that more students needed to graduate from high school and not drop out. To accomplish his vision, in 2007, he signed into law Senate Bill 199, that became Codified Law 13-27-1. The law states that students need to remain in school until the age of 18 instead of the age of 16. This seemingly minor change greatly impacted high schools in South Dakota who were now forced to develop educational programs for students who would have otherwise quit and dropped out of school once they turned 16. One method to address this academic need was to develop an alternative education program to educated students who were disenchanted with school and would have dropped out if given the opportunity. A researcher-developed survey instrument was sent to approximately 150 public high school principals in South Dakota with 77 respondents (51.3%) to the survey instrument. A five-point Likert-type scale was used to measure respondents' perceptions about the qualities found in alternative schools. Principals' responses were analyzed by demographics of school size, location of the district, years of experience in education, and economic status. Data were collected and analyzed to find differences between perceptions regarding the quality of instruction and level of learning in alternative schools. The study found that principals believe that the quality of instruction in alternative schools is effective, specifically in the areas of assessing and grading students. The principals believe there needs to be improvement in the techniques used to motivate students. The study found the principals believe that teachers who serve lower economic students are not as prepared and their motivational techniques are not effective. Principals believe the quality of instruction appeared to be higher than the level of learning in alternative schools. The study showed that principals believe the curriculum in alternative schools did not appear to be aligned to the state content standards, but they did believe that the diploma from an alternative school was considered equivalent to a regular high school diploma. Also economic status influenced the principals' beliefs about the quality of instruction. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]