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Eukaryotic cells transcribe a vast array of non-coding RNAs, most of which have not been assigned a functional role. The work presented here reveals a novel mechanism of transcriptional repression that is mediated by the non-coding RNA prt (pho1-repressing transcript). The prt transcript is shown to recruit a histone deacetylase, Clr3, to repress pho1. This gene encodes a secreted acid phosphatase essential for phosphate acquisition in fission yeast. In the presence of phosphate, prt is produced from an upstream promoter and leads to silencing of pho1. Thus far, this has been explained by prt transcription leading to deposition of repressive methylation over the locus. However, this explanation is known to be incomplete since deletion of the only known histone methyltransferase does not lead to pho1 induction comparable to deletion of the prt promoter. This suggests that another mechanism must be involved in mediating transcriptional interference via non-coding transcription. In the present study the putative ncRNA-binding protein Seb1, together with the chromatin modifying complex SHREC, is demonstrated to associate with prt to elicit silencing of pho1 by a mechanism that is independent of H3K9 methylation and instead relies on deacetylase activity provided by the Clr3 component of SHREC. These data reveal a previously uncharacterised layer of ncRNA-mediated gene regulation and provide important conceptual advances in understanding the mechanisms governing the phenomenon known as transcriptional interference.

Begging has been a feature of towns and cities across the globe for millennia and yet has been the explicit focus of surprisingly little scholarship. Limited understanding regarding the reasons people beg and the impact that begging has on them has impeded the development of effective policy responses. This study set out to add to the evidence base regarding the causes, conduct, and consequences of begging. It has done this by, firstly, moving beyond a focus on immediate triggers to explore factors over the life course that contribute to begging behaviour. Secondly, the techniques and strategies adopted by individuals when begging, and factors influencing these, were critically examined. Finally, the research considered the consequences of engaging in begging for the individuals who engage in it, specifically in terms of how begging enhances or diminishes their capabilities. Employing a qualitative design that used semi-structured interviews as the data collection method, this research analysed the insights of 26 professional stakeholders and 22 people with experience of begging across two case study sites in England, Leeds and Lincoln. Drawing from critical realism as a metatheoretical framework to guide the research process, the study was primarily framed using the capabilities approach and enhanced by theoretical contributions from scholarship on stigma. These theories highlight how the opportunities that people have and the choices that they make in life are influenced by their experiences and the context in which they are located. The findings demonstrated how routes into begging lie in the clustered experiences of compound disadvantage that can often extend back to childhood. Certain disadvantages had a particularly corrosive effect on the capability sets of some individuals, such as a history of insecure housing, experiences of trauma, and problematic substance use. At the point when begging was first engaged in, individuals were typically experiencing financial pressures from their problematic substance use but significantly had a highly constrained capability set which limited the opportunities available to meet their proximate needs. Begging was therefore an activity engaged in by people because it was viewed as the least worst option to meet these needs given the lack of viable alternatives. My analysis found that the reasons to continue begging were at times different from the motives first driving the decision to beg. Different people experienced unanticipated outcomes of begging such as having a daily routine or self-reliance which made begging difficult to desist from. I devised a new tripartite typology of begging conduct (survivalist, occupationalist, and opportunist) to conceptualise different patterns that were influenced by different primary motivations and had different temporal and spatial characteristics. The patterns were also affected by the balance between the risk of negative outcomes (e.g. abuse) and positive elements (e.g. maximising income). In addition, performative elements were found in begging conduct with people using different props or verbal techniques to engage with passers-by and elicit donations. This study considered the consequences of begging concerning the six different capabilities that were found to be impacted most, including: planning for the future; valued social interactions and relationships; physical security; access to public and private space; good physical health; and good mental health. Notably, the consequences of begging were often extremely negative across all the capabilities that were analysed, with physical health, mental health, and physical security amongst the areas most detrimentally affected. Where positive experiences did emerge through certain interactions or reducing isolation, they were fleeting and had no lasting or significant impact on capabilities. Moreover, in many instances, these outcomes fostered the continuation of begging which produced feedback loops whereby begging further degenerated individuals' existing and already highly constrained capabilities. These findings have several implications for policy and practice, especially as regards prevention through early intervention and identifying people at-risk of begging; addressing the needs of people who beg to remove the need to begging; and influencing public perception through less stigmatising communications campaigns.

Young people, because of their life stage, are widely thought to have distinct routes into homelessness and require different interventions than older adults. Youth-specific interventions are championed by those working in this sector. However, the scholarly case for what form such responses should take remains unclear. This thesis explores and strengthens the underpinning rationale and assumptions of current responses to youth homelessness. Specific research questions are as follows: What are the key factors influencing young people's routes into homelessness? How useful is age as a proxy for understanding young people's support and housing needs? In what circumstances, if any, is congregate supported accommodation a legitimate housing option for young people? What difference do distinct national and local policy approaches make to young people's experiences of homelessness? Answers to these research questions draw on youth studies literature and a critical realist understanding of homelessness causation and new empirical data collection. The fieldwork for this study compares two local case studies, Newcastle upon Tyne and Glasgow, within the UK jurisdictions of England and Scotland. Interviews with National Key Informants (n = 16) involved in statutory and third sector policy and practice roles provided nation-level context on recent trends in youth homelessness. Local-level data from the two case studies included interviews with local practitioners (n = 15) and young people with current or recent experiences of homelessness (n = 23). Key findings are that young people's routes into homelessness can be better explained by adopting learning from youth studies on the transition to adulthood. A proper understanding of youth studies literature, in combination with the findings of this study, makes clear that age has limited usefulness as a proxy for support and housing needs. It is argued that congregate supported accommodation is not an appropriate housing option for young people because of the intrinsically problematic impact such models have on developmental processes. The examples of local policies on prevention and housing-led approaches show meaningfully positive differences in young people's homelessness experiences. However, lower welfare entitlements for young people create barriers to resolving homelessness and delay the developmental processes of reaching adulthood. Based on these findings, this thesis makes the case that a greater understanding of life stages is essential in delivering effective interventions for youth homelessness.