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Exhibiting craft in the church, the factory and the city in Portugal and the UK, 2012-2022: a study of craft and its display contexts
Get PDFThis thesis investigates contemporary craft-based exhibitions held in Portugal and the UK between 2012 and 2022. It examines three key sites of display: the church, the factory, and the city. This expands the emerging scholarship on the exhibition of craft, which has largely focused on white cube and domestic settings.
One of the research questions that guides this dissertation is the following: How is craft shaped by its specific sites of display? The study draws on archival research and ethnographical techniques such as fieldwork, observation, photography, interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups.
This thesis is divided into three chapters. Chapter one analyses contemporary craft-based exhibitions in the church. It takes as case studies Cristina Rodrigues’s exhibition Heaven Descends to Earth (2015) and the permanent installation The Kingdom of Heaven (2017), respectively held at the Monastery of Alcobaça, Portugal, and Manchester Cathedral UK.
Chapter two investigates contemporary craft-based exhibitions that draw on the factory. It identifies and sets out an emerging typology of craft display, which I term the material-based post-industrial biennial. The chapter focuses on Contextile: Contemporary Textile Art Biennial, held in the Portuguese city of Guimarães since 2012.
Chapter three examines contemporary craft-based exhibitions that establish itineraries of objects, people, and memories across urban sites. It delves into Side-by-Side (2018), an exhibition developed by US practitioner Ann Hamilton in Guimarães, which devised a circuit along various cultural, commercial, and industrial spaces in the city.
Based on the analysis of case studies, it is argued that craft can connect spaces, places, and geographies; fill sites with alternative stories; create and re-create diplomatic ties; bring makers together; prompt conversations around colonialism, imperialism, and their implications in the present; and generate intercultural, interfaith, and intergenerational encounters.
This dissertation contributes to knowledge through its focus on craft and exhibitions, which offers an opportunity to work across sites, practices, people, and histories that have been held apart. Its emphasis on unconventional spaces warrants a chance to examine class issues, from the royalty and clergy to industrial workers and those who specialise in traditional craft skills. The project’s focus on Portugal and the UK enables an exploration of the historical connections between both countries; the divides between nations; the dynamic relations between centre and periphery; and different understandings of craft. By looking at exhibitions from the lens of craft, this research makes visible practices, people, spaces, and sensations which continue to be neglected in art historical scholarship
Reading beyond wisdom: rethinking the textual identity of 4QInstruction
No full textThis study re-examines the textual identity assigned to the Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts 1Q26, 4Q415–4Q418, 4Q418a+c, and 4Q423. These manuscripts are understood to be copies of a composition that was identified as a wisdom text during the early stages of its reconstruction. It is currently referred to by a variety of names, such as 4QInstruction, Musar le-Mevin (“Instruction for an Understanding One”) or חכמת רז נהיה (“Wisdom of the Raz Nihyeh”). This thesis contends that the generic identity assigned to this work has become an interpretative straitjacket that limits our understanding of the textual remains to the domains of wisdom and instruction. The first half shows how the earliest identification of these manuscripts as “wisdom” and “sapiential” by early editors established the tone for future scholarly engagement, and the second half attempts to disentangle this assigned identity by re-evaluating key concepts within the surviving text that have been principally interpreted through the lens of wisdom. By setting aside its longstanding sapiential identity―by reading beyond wisdom―this study seeks to contribute a fresh interpretation of these manuscripts and to pave the way for new perspectives to come to the fore
Neural correlates of high visuomotor performance using a sporting model
Get PDFThe present study seeks to identify neural correlates of high performance in ecological valid, sporting tasks and quantify the differences between high skilled and low skilled players. To do this, Esports is chosen to be the sporting model to facilitate clean brain activity recordings whilst playing sport, something that is considerably more challenging with traditional sports. Participants are first separated into a skilled or unskilled group based on their Esports performance using objective classification measures to identify the presence of a higher and lower performing groups. Their brain activity is then recorded as they complete a series of visuomotor psychophysics and Esports aim-training tasks. Results indicate that there are several key differences in the brain activity of skilled players that facilitate a higher level of performance. Firstly, skilled players modulate visual attention, gated by alpha oscillations, to release the visual system before target onset. As a result, visual information is consciously accessed more readily to be utilized for a motor response. Secondly, skilled players utilize cueing information, received from multi-sensory cues, and propagate it in working memory to narrow visual search and improve performance. Finally, skilled players show an increase in frontal-midline theta during Esports performance facilitating management of cognitive load and repeated execution of precise movements. Due to the nature of the model, applied implications are suggested for both coaches and athletes of all sports to utilize this research. Specifically, performance improvement of players could be facilitated by identifying deficits in their brain activity and talent identification, by observing the neural correlates reported in developing players
Being ‘mum’: approaching the subjectivity of mothers of disabled children as becoming to explore education inclusion and exclusion
Get PDFABSTRACT
This post qualitative research inquiry, which has been influenced by the researcher's own experiences as a mother of a disabled child, offers alternative ways of thinking about mothers of disabled children and the inclusion of disabled children that extend beyond the categorisation of mothers being categorised within stable subject positions, and challenges the binaries often presented within existing research exploring inclusive education. Relying on a relational process ontology, the inquiry shifts the focus from individual agency to understanding the subjectivity of mothers of disabled children as emerging through a process of co-constitution within shifting multiplicities. Specifically, this thesis explores mothers’ experiences of the inclusion of disabled children within a framework of relationality and connectivity, to map the assemblages within which parents of disabled children and pupils labelled with SEND are entangled.
Philosophy is employed as a means of research and a way of viewing the world. The onto epistemology employed underpins all aspects of the inquiry. Embracing a feminist new materialist and post humanist orientation, the thesis ‘felts’ (Springgay, 2022) philosophical and empirical research approaches as it puts theory to work. This challenges the perceived binary between philosophy and empirical research, fostering an entanglement of coemergence and co-composition. By adopting this orientation, it becomes possible to dismantle rigid boundaries that position some humans as less than, without relying on negative critique, instead offering generative and affirmative possibilities that can lead to new meanings of difference and inclusion (Naraian, 2020; Braidotti, 2009).
The methodological approach was inspired by Blanchot’s conception of conversation as ‘plural speech’ (Blanchot, 1993). This form of conversation does not seek to ‘annex the other’ or study them ‘as a thing’, instead it is conditioned by ‘a relation of infinity and strangeness’ (Bojesen, 2019:653). What matters is the movement of thought that takes place, rather than what is said or subject development. Seven mothers of disabled children were engaged in ongoing conversations over a period of 12 months, each initiating an exploration of inclusion with a chosen prompt. These ongoing conversations allowed an exploration of uncertainty, contradictions, and tensions, through which it becomes possible to think differently about maternal subjectivity and mothers' approaches to their disabled child's inclusion in education. To avoid reducing conversations to mere data to be dissected, the thesis employs the creative research methods of both collage and poetry. By entangling visual and written materials new meaning-making and knowledges emerge, enabling an affective engagement with the materiality of the subject matter. These are presented throughout the thesis as moments of disruption, intended to supplement and supplant the written narrative, as different displaced and juxtaposed elements that jostle for attention (Morgan, 2000).
The substantive chapters are presented as three theoretically informed ‘threads’ that can be woven together in different ways to explore the assemblages that mothers of disabled children are entangled within that shape possibilities for inclusion and exclusion within education. These chapters discuss disability activist affordances as a way of theorising what mothers of disabled children do, rather than who they are, the materiality of documentation and what it produces, and a more relational approach to thinking about both belonging and inclusion
A CAD-based Integrated robotic disassembly sequence planning system
Get PDFIn a circular economy (CE), products and materials remain in use for as long as possible. Based on the traditional linear economic system, a CE creates a closed loop economic system by reconnecting end-of-use resources, materials, prod-ucts to the market. As part of a CE, remanufacturing returns the previously sold, leased, used, worn, or non-functional product or component to “like-new” or “better-than-new” condition. Disassembly, cleaning, inspection, re-pair/replacement, reassembly, and testing are the main steps in remanufacturing. According to the literature, the degree of automation in disassembly is low, with manual disassembly being performed in the majority of cases. Automating disassembly requires automating disassembly planning. Digitalisation is a promising technique for accelerating automation in disassembly planning. Computer-aided design (CAD) is a well-established technology that has been used in digitalising assembly planning. However, few attempts at adopting CAD modelling and simulation c
Microstructural characterisation of laser shock peening processed commercially pure titanium
Get PDFLaser shock peening can be applied on a wide range of materials with real world applications, including many aerospace and automotive components. In this work, the microstructure evolution during laser shock peening of commercially pure titanium with large grain size (well exceeding 100 µm) was studied.
The study focused on the microstructural features observed as a result of laser shock between 1 and 20 times, with a beam of laser of 2 J power, 1.5 µm spot size and 10 ns pulse duration, giving a power density approximating 11.32 GW cm^-2. The samples were studied using optical profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission Kikuchi diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy.
It was found that an increase in the number of shocks increases the plastic deformation zone underneath the shock spot. Twinning was observed in the 3, 5, 10 and 15 shock samples at a distance of 142 µm, 339 µm, 570 µm, and 805 µm, respectively from the surface. A similar increase in total twinning area was also observed. The near surface (typically ~10 µm) twins were identified to be of {101 ̅1} type, and the rest are primarily of {112 ̅1} type, extending to the afore mentioned depths. This is atypical for HCP structures, with the {112 ̅1} twin production most likely being a result of the large twin shear caused by the deformative shockwave. It is proposed that the near surface twins in the LSP without coating (LSPwC) regime are indicative of tensile residual stresses, and those found over the majority of the samples indicate compressive residual stresses, characterised by microstructural presentation.
The collection of findings in this study develops a picture of the mechanisms of deformation introduced through LSP, and the resultant microstructural analysis allows us to make assertions as to the reasons behind the effect on component performance. This contributes a step towards building a process parameter - mechanical property relationship, allowing us to predict the mechanical performance improvement of components as a result of laser inputs, based on the materials involved
Using semantic richness for metaphor detection using deep learning
Get PDFThe Natural Language Processing (NLP) encounters difficulties with metaphors, known for their creative and non-literal usage. Metaphors involve using words or phrases from one context in entirely different contexts, making the meaning less clear and requiring human interpretation for understanding.
This dissertation places its focus on the semantic richness elements derived from the perceptual part of the semantic network. These elements serve as the main linguistic features integrated into vector representations. By extracting the semantic information encompassing concreteness, imageability, sensory experience, sentiment, and embodiment, this study seeks to explore the feasibility of detecting metaphors using deep learning models.
The investigation is conducted using two experimental structures: sentence-level clas- sification for the categorisation of entire sentences and word-level classification for individual words. These models are assessed across three metaphorical datasets: VUAMC, MOH-X, and TroFi. The main objective is to evaluate the impact of these semantic elements on the metaphor detection task, with the potential for enhancing model performance
Empowering vision-guided robotic manipulation tasks with machine learning - with example applications to electric vehicle battery dismantling
Get PDFThis thesis is focused on the integration of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques with computer vision methods to enhance the capabilities of robotic manipulation systems. The research application focuses on the disassembly of Electric Vehicle (EV) battery packs using robotic systems. As the demand for EVs continues to rise, the need for sustainable, and autonomous battery recycling grows, due to the limited lifespan of these batteries. Employing robots in this process is crucial as it guarantees not only cost-effectiveness and precision but also mitigates hazardous exposure for human workers. However, the disassembly of EV batteries is a challenging task for the robots. Firstly because of the diversity in battery types, shapes, and sizes and the absence of standardized formats across manufacturers. Secondly, robotics and automation in manufacturing typically operate within structured environments, doing repetitive tasks on known objects in fixed positions. However, adapting robots to handle different objects and unpredictable situations is challenging, necessitating innovative AI-based robotic solutions that can adapt to the diverse nature of battery packs while ensuring efficient and safe disassembly operations. To achieve these objectives, this study aims to develop control strategies that enable robots to perform precise and efficient manipulation tasks in dynamic and complex environments. The thesis is organized into several chapters, each addressing specific aspects of this comprehensive goal. The thesis begins by explaining the problem statement and difficulties related to the safe recycling of Lithium-ion batteries. It is certainly the case that challenges with disassembly procedures require automated solutions, with robots being a key component. Thereafter, a general introduction to the field, highlighting the need to enhance adaptability, precision, and efficiency in robotic systems through the integration of AI and vision-integrated techniques is presented. The objectives of the research are also provided, preparing the setting for the following chapters. The second chapter focuses on optimizing hybrid Visual Servoing (VS) approaches. Conventional methods in 2D, 3D, and hybrid VS are known to have limitations such as convergence issues, sub-optimal trajectories, and singularities. We carefully studied the behaviour of each approach in controlling specific components and proposed a decoupled hybrid VS approach. This approach integrates the functionalities of both 2D and 3D VS methods, minimizing their shortcomings while leveraging their distinct strengths. Adaptive gains, task sequencing, damped least squares, and projection operator techniques are integrated into the proposed method, each addressing a specific challenge to enhance the overall efficacy of the VS. Since the proposed method introduced computational complexities, we used neuro-fuzzy neural networks to predict and model the behaviour of the proposed VS approach. Then the proposed method is compared with traditional approaches, demonstrating improved efficiency and robustness. In the third chapter, the project investigates the integration of Reinforcement Learning (RL) techniques with VS. This involves expanding the AI intervention beyond image spaces to joint spaces of the robot. The main contribution of this chapter explores the incorporation of deep RL algorithms with the data of several controllers during training to enhance the performance of the trained policy. The proposed approach improves training by dynamically constraining the agent’s action spaces using several controller demonstrations, allowing for the learning of robust policies adaptable to various scenarios, and reducing the risk of sub-optimal solutions during training by utilizing the knowledge of mathematically proven control methods. Additionally, the proposed strategy can be combined with other techniques to enhance the training process. This approach results in a case study demonstrating a 51% reduction in training time, improved convergence rates, and enhanced controllability of the trained agent. Thereafter, the performance of the controller was demonstrated through comparisons with traditional VS methods. The fourth chapter extends the project’s scope to contact-rich manipulation tasks. A framework was introduced that employs RL to address the challenges posed by uncertain and complex environments. By utilizing a curriculum-based domain randomization approach, the robotic system’s robustness to uncertainties is improved, enabling the successful execution of compliant path-following in a range of conditions. To accelerate the RL training and reduce the problem of getting stuck in sub-optimal solutions, we proposed a strategy using human demonstrations. The data from human demonstrations in completing the desired task was gathered across various surfaces with various friction and stiffness. Thereafter, this data is used to create a 3D shape that includes all the demonstrated trajectories. This shape helps to limit where the RL algorithm should search for solutions. Notably, this strategy differs from imitation learning in that the agent is not required to imitate any particular behaviour. Therefore, it can accommodate even imperfect demonstrations, as the RL policy will correct the agent’s behaviour during the training. Chapter five underscores the practicality and adaptability of the developed techniques across a range of scenarios. This chapter presents a comprehensive exploration of various experiments and supplementary works carried out during the PhD project. These include tasks such as sorting, utilizing different grippers and robots, teleoperation, employing haptic devices, and applying computer vision methods such as deep learning for object detection, a model-based tracker for tracking predefined models, and the proposed VS approaches. The final chapter, the conclusion, summarizes the key findings, contributions, limitations, and implications of the research. It reflects on how the integration of AI and VS has led to advancements in robotic manipulation capabilities. This chapter also discusses potential future directions for research and emphasizes the broader impact of the project’s outcomes on robotics and automation. Overall, this PhD aims to bridge the gap between advanced computer vision, AI, and traditional robotic manipulation techniques, ultimately contributing to more efficient, adaptable, and robust manipulation systems capable of performing in complex real-world environments
Elucidating the biochemical property of MURF1 E3 ligase function
Get PDFThe preservation of skeletal muscle mass is crucial for maintaining metabolic function, depending on the intricate balance between muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown (MPB). Skeletal muscle atrophy occurs when MPB surpasses MPS. Although MuRF1 (Muscle-specific ubiquitin ring finger 1), an E3 ligase, is recognized as a marker for skeletal muscle atrophy, its precise molecular function in controlling muscle mass remains unclear. While MuRF1 is known for its role in degrading muscle proteins, little knowledge exists about its discreet mechanisms as a ubiquitin E3 ligase. This thesis aims to fill existing knowledge gaps, advancing our understanding of skeletal muscle mass regulation at the molecular level using in-vitro biochemical assays. The present thesis elucidates, in-vitro, the auto-ubiquitylation of MuRF1, generating various ubiquitin chain types in a UBE2-dependent manner. Furthermore, MuRF1 exhibits the ability to produce K48 and K63 polyubiquitin chains on substrates when interacting with UBE2D and UBE2E enzymes. Remarkably, it can generate unanchored K63 chains in association with UBE2N/V and mono-ubiquitylation with UBE2W. Notably, the mono-ubiquitin serves as an anchor for these unanchored K63 chains. This thesis demonstrates the direct ubiquitylation of previously suspected MuRF1 substrates and that MuRF1 ubiquitylates via the same mechanisms, whether with a substrate or through auto-ubiquitylation
Opera in Malta from 1850 onwards: Towards a new Renaissance of the art-form in Gozo
Get PDFGozo is Malta’s sister island, with a population of 39,000 in an area of 67km². Hundreds of tourists cross the Gozo channel everyday to visit its’ crystal-clear beaches, museums and archaeological sites that recount its’ long history.
Gozo also hosts many cultural activities, amongst the grandest of which are the operas held at the two opera theatres located in the main street of Victoria. These two theatres, the Astra and Aurora are owned by two band clubs, the La Stella and the Leone respectively. Their long history and rivalry dates back to their inception in the 1860s, which in turn is based on religious divisions: the La Stella band support the feast of St. George while the Leone band supports the feast of the Virgin Mary. The two theatres are unique on the Maltese islands. There is no other theatre that can host over a thousand spectators and what makes them especially unique is that they are managed by club members rather than a professional organisation.
This thesis presents a summary of the history of opera in Malta, mostly focused on the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but its primary focus is the efforts made by opera enthusiasts to maintain performances after World War II, the role of the Astra and Aurora Theatres in Gozo in the process, and how these two theatres took over this art-form from mainland Malta
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