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"Another voice that sings": timbre, portamento and natural horn playing in France 1810s-1850s
Full text linkDuring the nineteenth century the horn transitioned from the natural horn, played using the right hand in the bell of the instrument to create non-harmonic notes, to the valve horn. The rate at which the newer instrument was assimilated varied throughout Europe, with the French championing the older instrument for longer than most other regions. This fact has often been accounted for as a result of the high standards of natural horn playing that had been developed in France thanks to practitioners such as Heinrich Domnich (1767–1844), Frédéric Duvernoy (1765–1838), Louis-François Dauprat (1781–1868) and, the central figure in this study, Jacques-François Gallay (1795–1864).
Gallay was to hold a number of prominent positions during his career, with the most important and influential being his role as cor solo (principal horn) at the fashionable Théâtre-Italien in Paris and his professorship at the Conservatoire. His performances are well documented, with many critics and fellow musicians praising him for his vocal style of performance. In Gallay’s own words the horn was “another voice that sings”.
In this thesis I pose the following question: if a horn player, such as Gallay, was renowned for his vocal approach to horn playing, what were the criteria of such vocality as valued by nineteenth-century practitioners, especially those associated with the Italian operatic style favoured in France from the 1810s to the 1850s? I argue that pedagogy of the period promoted the idea of first teaching how to play “correctly” (facilitating a literal interpretation of the score) prior to teaching the elements that comprise a “beautiful” performance (style, taste, ornamentation etc.) with students of all musical disciplines often instructed to learn the latter by emulating talented musicians, especially singers. This study further focuses on two essential aspects of vocal technique of the period: timbre and portamento.
The renaissance of the natural horn in the late twentieth century as part of the historically informed performance movement has based much of its scholarship on the horn players mentioned above. However, it has grown out of an aesthetic shaped by concepts of how the modern horn is played and how it should sound, with a priority on the even, homogenous timbre that the modern instrument is designed to achieve, an emphasis rooted in a modern concept of vocality rather than one representative of the nineteenth century.
I will trace Gallay’s career through a series of six operatic obligatos associated with him. Through these I explore a number of elements that can help inform interpretation of these solos, including interpretations arising from text, the performance practice of singers (including evidence from early recordings), and musical criticism of the period in order to establish that timbre and portamento were expressive devices common to both singers and horn players such as Gallay and should thus be re-established in our performance practice today
Computational complexity perspective on graphical calculi for quantum computation
Full text linkDiagrammatic reasoning via languages such as ZX Calculus is a powerful tool in theoretical quantum computing. However, physical quantum computers do not understand diagrams and require explicit quantum circuits as inputs. Finding a circuit equivalent to the given diagram is known as circuit extraction. Such problems in graphical calculi form a limitation preventing the wider adoption of diagrammatic reasoning.
Computational complexity theory formalises the difficulty of problems. For ZX diagrams, the circuit extraction problem is #P-hard and unlikely to have an efficient algorithm. Therefore, partial solutions are critical. Currently, efficient circuit extraction is only possible for diagrams containing a structure of so-called Pauli flow. This structure is necessary and sufficient for robust determinism in measurement-based quantum computation (MBQC) – a model of quantum computation, an alternative to circuits, where adaptive single-qubit measurements drive computation. Thus, Pauli flow links MBQC, ZX Calculus, and the circuit model. It is known how to find flow structures in polynomial time when they exist; nevertheless, their lengthy and complex definitions often hinder working with them.
In this thesis, I present contributions to two connected topics: the hardness of problems in graphical calculi and Pauli flow as a method for overcoming circuit extraction. First, I show that circuit extraction can be #P-hard for phase-free ZH diagrams, extending the previous result for ZX diagrams. I also establish a relation between phase-free ZH and NP # class. This involves weakening the oracle, crafting a complete problem, and encoding the problem into phase-free ZH.
My next contribution concerns Pauli flow. I simplify the Pauli flow definition by providing a new algebraic interpretation. This involves defining two matrices arising from the adjacency matrix of the underlying graph. Then, Pauli flow corresponds to the existence of a right-inverse of the first matrix, which, when multiplied by the second matrix, results in a matrix of a directed acyclic graph. Based on the newly defined algebraic interpretation, I obtain O(n) algorithms for finding Pauli flow, improving on the previous O(n) bounds. I also introduce a lower bound for Pauli flow-finding by linking it to linear algebra problems over F. Finally, when given an unlabelled open graph, I show how to find measurement labelling resulting in Pauli flow
Microstructural characterisation of proton-irradiated model reactor pressure vessel steels
Full text linkFormation mechanisms of Mn-Ni-Si rich precipitates under irradiation in reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels are not fully understood. This makes predicting radiation induced embrittlement in RPV steels challenging, leading to uncertainty around lifetime extensions of ageing reactors, and alloy design for new reactors. To understand and predict embrittlement, segregation behaviour of solute elements, and precipitation under irradiation must be understood. Proton irradiation experiments can be used to accelerate understanding of the mechanisms of solute segregation in radiation damage environments. In this work, three ferritic model alloys and an A508-3 reactor pressure vessel steel have
been irradiated using a 2.9 MeV proton beam, at approximately 350 °C, to a peak dose of 2 dpa. Microstructural characterisation has been carried out using a range of complementary techniques including: transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atom probe
tomography (APT), and small angle neutron scattering (SANS).
Radiation enhanced precipitation led to hardening by enhancing solute segregation, resulting in dense microstructures containing dislocation loops and precipitates. Mn, Ni and Si were observed to segregate to dislocation loops under irradiation in the Fe-Mn-Ni-Si alloy, and then to form precipitates at higher doses. Hardening was greater in the Ni containing alloy, corresponding with higher total number density of precipitates at all
doses; close to the Bragg peak it was 2 orders of magnitude higher in the Ni containing alloy at compared with . Two new populations of precipitates were identified after irradiation in the Fe-Mn-Ni-Si model alloy, using TEM and APT; Mn-Ni-Si rich precipitates (non-stoichiometric Mn6Ni16Si7 G phase structures) and Mn-Si nitrogen rich precipitates (MnSiN2). The same cuboidal nitrides were observed in the Fe-Mn-Si alloy after irradiation, and their formation is attributed to nitrogen contamination of the vacuum. These nitrides were only observed close to the Bragg peak in the Fe-Mn-Ni-Si alloy, but were found at all doses in the Ni-free alloy. At higher doses, nitrogen ingress led to precipitation of Mn-Si nitrides inside Mn-Ni-Si precipitates, creating a Mn-Si-N core and Ni-rich shell structure, observed using STEM-EDX. This suggests that there is a lower barrier for radiation assisted nucleation of Mn-Ni-Si precipitates compared with Mn-Si nitrides. The increase in number of precipitates in the Ni containing alloy, compared with the sparsely distributed nitrides in the Ni free alloy, suggests that Ni enhances radiation induced segregation, clustering and precipitation.
Elevated diffusion rates produced by radiation damage led to segregation of Mn, Ni and Si to dislocation loops and the precipitation of Mn-Ni-Si phases. Ni has a significant synergistic effect with Mn and Si, on precipitation of secondary phases in a radiation environment, and is the main constituent element in secondary phases. The precipitation observed in model ferritic alloys is not comparable to neutron-irradiated RPV steel mi-
crostructures. However, observations of dislocation loops, segregation and precipitation in these samples contributes to understanding the interaction between Ni, Mn and Si solute elements in a radiation environment and the mechanisms of radiation mediated precipitation
Bis-triazolium perylene diimides: self-aggregation of twisted organic dyes
No full textThis thesis aims to showcase the potential of perylene diimide (PDI) aggregates for anion sensing. PDIs are notable class of organic dyes that are well suited for this type of study owing to their strong absorbance and fluorescence and their ability to form aggregates. In this thesis, charge-assisted hydrogen bonding is explored as a tool to control the interactions between PDIs and with anions, thereby impacting photophysical properties for optical anion sensing. Through this work it is shown that a novel bis-triazolium PDI forms aggregates. Using UV-vis spectroscopy the dimerization constant of the bis-triazolium, with PF_6^- as the counterion was found to be 1.25 ± 0.11 x 10^5 M^{-1} with a ΔG of dimerization of -29.1 kJ mol^{-1} when measured in chloroform. This value is in line with the aggregation constants of planar PDIs. This is significant since the bis-triazolium PDI possess a twisted perylene core and so would be expected to exhibit weak aggregation through π–π interactions, which highlights the potential role of charge-assisted hydrogen bonding. Additionally, the ability of this PDI to act as an anion sensor has been shown. With colour change visible with the naked eye when the iodide counter ion was exchanged for PF_6^-
The optimisation of transfer chemistries for DNA-templated synthesis (DTS)
No full textInspired by the ribosome, researchers have developed strategies to synthesise programmable, sequence-specific polymers for material discovery. One method aiming to achieve this is DNA-templated synthesis (DTS). DTS co-localises reactive tags attached to complementary DNA strands, initiating a chemical reaction. Sequentially, spent adapters are replaced, through DNA’s complementary base binding, to produce identifiable sequence-specific polymers. However, currently, the most successful chemistries used for monomer transfer are prone to degradation, limiting the reaction yield and polymer growth. Therefore, this thesis explores the optimisation of DTS transfer chemistries to limit the hydrolysis of reactive tags.
Chapter 1 provides a simplified introduction to ribosomal peptide synthesis and examples of how researchers have been inspired to develop similar strategies for artificial polymer synthesis, i.e. DTS. The chemistries and architectures that have demonstrated successful transfer of DTS monomers, as well as their limitations, are discussed. Susceptible to hydrolysis in aqueous conditions, Chapter 2 investigates the cause for thioester stabilisation in a DTS across-the-helix aminolysis mechanism, in order to harness its full capabilities. In addition, the effects nucleobases have on the architecture’s DTS yields and thioester protection are explored. In order to improve reaction yields and rates, Chapter 3 introduces a new DTS electrophile, the selenoester, investigating its capabilities in a single-step DTS assay. Chapter 4 attempts to optimise Chapter 3′s selenoester-mediated DTS further, as well as incorporate the electrophile into a multistep DTS system
Balancing heritage relevance in Germany: grassroots advocacy, official adaptation and community involvement in World Heritage and beyond
Full text linkThis research examines the intricate relationship between grassroots advocacy and official cultural heritage management, focusing on the relevance and challenges of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Germany. Community engagement has been a strategic priority for UNESCO since 2007, supported by the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) and the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ Target 11.4, which advocates the protection of cultural and natural heritage to achieve sustainable cities and communities by 2030. Despite these strategic efforts, persistent issues, such as conflicts between official heritage preservation and community needs limit genuine community involvement.
The study explores different approaches to community involvement in two German World Heritage properties: the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen, and the delisted Dresden Elbe Valley. Zollverein’s challenge to maintain local support for its cultural economy reuse highlights tensions between future-oriented concepts, ICOMOS’ strict conservation approach and local needs. Dresden’s 2009 loss of its World Heritage status due to structural developments underscores the fluctuating relevance of UNESCO World Heritage, conflicts between heritage and development, and evolving heritage discourse among residents and officials.
These case studies explore the varying significance of UNESCO World Heritage among different audiences, calling for an adaptive and balanced approach towards the interpretation of the World Heritage Operational Guidelines to better meet the evolving needs and expectations of diverse contemporary audiences
Measurements of secondary plant metabolites, particularly isoprene and monoterpenes, in a temperate forest
Full text linkThe need to monitor and measure more accurately the biogenic contributions to the atmospheric hydrocarbon budget — especially the contribution from forested landscapes — is becoming more imperative since the biogenic hydrocarbon source to the atmosphere has been identified to be even more significant than the anthropogenic. Isoprene (CH) is the most abundant biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) in temperate and tropical forest ecosystems. It is also very reactive in the atmosphere, with several potential degradation pathways that produce different oxidation products, including ozone and secondary organic aerosol. Other BVOCs are present in lower quantities in temperate forest air, but can be both photochemically and ecologically active, i.e., contribute to the production of atmospheric oxidants and perform signaling functions between individuals of the same or different species. A holistic approach to monitoring isoprene and other secondary metabolites is therefore highly desirable. This thesis reports results from two measurement campaigns that were carried out between August and September of 2015 and 2016 at Mill Haft forest in central England, the site of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) research facility. Measurements used a proton transfer reaction time of flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS). The measurements were divided into periods 1 and 2 for2015, and periods 1 to 5 for 2016.The measurements formed part of the baseline characterisation of the Mill Haft forest, which is dominated by mature (170 year-old, 25 m tall) English Oak (Quercus robur). Air sampling for P1 (2015) was at a height of about 2 metres, while P2 was at 15 and 30metres and all of 2016 were at 30 metres, close to the top of the canopy.
Results from 2015 suggest that Isoprene, and its oxidation products MVK/MACR, also detected by PTR-ToF-MS, do not always show a diurnal pattern when their mixing ratios are low. The isoprene concentrations in period 2 (2015, at inlet heights of 15m and 30m), are more representative of isoprene concentrations in forested landscapes — i.e., in temperate regions like Mill Haft — than the concentrations in period 1. The presence of isoprene and its oxidation products; MVK/MACR, was confirmed in the 2016 sample at the canopy height of about 30 metres. The daily mixing ratios and diurnal patterns vary based on prevailing environmental, physical and climatic conditions; but show median and mean values; that agree with results from similar forests in temperate regions. VOC ‘fingerprints’ (i.e., full mass spectra tentatively assigned) of the forest environment using the PTR-MS is shown to be a fast and reliable method for identifying stable and recurring compounds. Overall, the results show that isoprene, MVK/MACR, and other secondary plant metabolites in these baseline samples have been successfully identified using PTR-MS. A more accurate quantification of identified compounds will require additional methods, such as gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A better interpretation of observed patterns would be possible if more correlative environmental factors were used in the investigation: e.g., relative humidity; photosynthetic active radiation (PAR); wind speed and direction; and ozone (O) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) mixing ratios, where possible
Examining the affective domain in physical education
Full text linkUNESCO (2015) outlined ambitious intentions for a broad and holistic Physical Education (PE) curriculum that facilitated student growth across four learning domains (physical, cognitive, social, and affective). However, much of what educators do tends to neglect the affective domain and prioritise the physical learning of young people. Interest in the affective domain has increased recently due to the raised awareness of mental health issues among young people, yet gaps remain in teacher understanding due to the complexity of defining, observing, and measuring the affective domain, including what practices may enable and constrain it in a PE context.
The research questions of this study intend to fill gaps in the literature by examining the affective domain in PE in an international primary school context. Addressing research questions one and two, twelve 60-minute PE lessons were video recorded at an international school in Singapore during 2020. Data were analysed using the Practical Epistemological Analysis (PEA) technique and Dewey’s transactional learning theory to identify indeterminate situations related to the affective domain. Stimulated recall interviews with students provided further data to support and/or challenge the interpretations of the video recordings. Addressing research question three, nineteen interviews took place with teachers (n=11) and students (n=8) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analysed using practice architectures theory to establish the facilitators and barriers to affective learning.
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The findings of this study – using the PEA technique – implied teaching and learning affectively was complex and often meant students did not learn in a fixed linear direction. Affective learning was considered in this study to be the process of change in emotional, attitudinal, and motivational learning. The indicators of affective learning occurred in three indeterminate situations: 1) rules, 2) tasks, and 3) relationships. Through the lens of practice architectures modified games in the curriculum, and identifying the importance of wellbeing were considered facilitators of affective learning. However, priority for the physical domain was the main barrier to supporting the affective domain. Other barriers included: inter- and intra-sport competitions, the use of sport-specific spaces and equipment, school leader and parent prioritisation of sport.
The contribution to knowledge is therefore the novel methodological technique (i.e. PEA) adopted to develop understanding of the affective domain, the evidence of different types of pedagogical contexts that influence the affective domain, and the identification of key barriers and facilitators to the affective domain. To lead a healthy and physically active life, holistic educational outcomes need to be prioritised in PE. Consequently, it is argued in this thesis that PE can play an important role in the struggle against mental health disorders among young people. However, challenges for teachers remain in that the affective domain continues to be complex, multi-faceted, and dynamic
Revisiting the classification of the Japanese welfare state and healthcare system
Full text linkThe study of the patterns of welfare states initiated by Esping-Andersen’s path-breaking typology has become popular among academia since the 1990s. In Esping-Andersen’s welfare regime typology, Japan was the only welfare state outside the Western world. Using the three types of welfare regimes proposed by Esping-Andersen, Japan was classified as liberal, conservative, or a hybrid by researchers. However, the classification of the only non-Western case triggered debate. Following this ongoing welfare modelling business, various classifications of the Japanese welfare state have been developed in addition to Esping-Andersen’s framework: a fourth familialism world, a member of the East Asian welfare model, or a unique welfare state. In addition to this unsolved puzzle of classifying the Japanese welfare state, Esping-Andersen mainly focused on income maintenance without paying sufficient attention to healthcare in his welfare regime typology. Analysts of comparative healthcare systems developed another trend of typologies concentrating on healthcare systems. Although there was an absence of a framework for classifying the healthcare system, Japan tended to be classified as a Bismarckian healthcare system (i.e., the social insurance model). There was less attention given to Japan in healthcare system typologies as it was in welfare regime studies. This thesis aims to provide an up-to-date classification of the Japanese welfare state and healthcare system by using hierarchical cluster analysis and fuzzy cluster analysis. The combination of two types of cluster analysis not only established the classification of Japan but also revealed the membership degree of Japan, which was particularly useful to analyse a hybrid case. The results showed that the Japanese welfare state seemed to be a hybrid with a weak tendency to be grouped with other conservative welfare regimes, while the healthcare system was closer to other Bismarckian healthcare systems. Furthermore, welfare regime typologies and healthcare system typologies were developed separately. This thesis attempted to connect the literature on welfare regime typologies and healthcare system typologies by applying the concept of elective affinity. Bridging these two streams of classification also contributes to the consistency issue between different policy sectors within the broader welfare state. The results of cluster analysis showed that the welfare regime and the healthcare system were relatively consistent in Japan
The moral responsibility for the harms of the global chain of production: a case study of the Bangladeshi ready-made garment industry
No full textThis thesis examines "a social structural conception of responsibility" for the harms associated with global garment production. The Rana Plaza incident and the subsequent policy reforms highlighted that the production of harms related to the garment industry in Bangladesh is structural — deeply linked to the imperatives of the broader political economy. That is to say, the harms of global garment production can be attributed to unintentional and indirect effects of economic globalisation. It is, therefore, no surprise that the prevailing notion of liberal responsibility, centring around intentional wrongdoing, proves inadequate in addressing such unintended social harm. This inadequacy leads not merely to the perpetuation of profound imbalances of power that underlie harm but also indifference or passivity to harm.
In order to transform indifference into [ir]responsibility, it is therefore necessary to reevaluate our understanding of responsibility. However, the widespread acceptance of fundamental principles of the individual model of responsibility prevents a redefined version of responsibility from gaining traction. Nevertheless, drawing from social harm literature, the thesis introduces a social perspective of responsibility, operating on the premise that if harm can be anticipated and there is a possibility for human intervention to modify underlying conditions, as well as identifiable social subgroups with the capacity to effect change, then we bear responsibility for social harm.
This research aims to further develop this social harm responsibility model through empirical analysis. The study conducted qualitative interviews with 47 individuals from three key stakeholder groups: employers, workers, and policymakers in the Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) industry. Thematic data analysis was conducted using a theoretical framework designed for the social harm responsibility model.
The empirical evidence illustrates the intertwining presence of power, inequality, and moral indifference. The material and symbolic power wielded by the global north shifts the harms of commodity production to the manufacturing sites of the Bangladeshi RMG industry. This flow of harm and accumulation hinges partly on the production of moral indifference. The unbounded, nonviolent, and rational practices within the production network undermine the innate personal moral drive to alleviate the suffering of the victims, thus contributing to the production of moral indifference.
This structural account made harm foreseeable. It also offers insights into the potential for human intervention — by reallocating material resources, integrating local cultural values, and promoting moral assemblage among various stakeholders through thick personal relationships. By tracing the money flow along the chain, we can easily discern the differing levels of accountability among different moral groups, starting with workers at the base, employers next, and brands at the top. The concept of the harm model of responsibility is crucial for the social harm approach to progress as a coherent academic discipline. Policymakers focused on harm reduction can benefit from considering this responsibility doctrine when addressing the impacts of unintended and socially mediated causes
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