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Coinage in 9th-century Northumbria: Copper-alloy, Kings and Vikings
Get PDFThe aim of this thesis is to undertake a radical reappraisal of Northumbrian copper
alloy pennies, commonly known as ‘stycas’. Ninth-century Northumbria barely features
in the documentary record, so its coinage is the most comprehensive resource we have
to study the period. However, its study is neglected in comparison to the contemporary
silver pennies used in other early medieval kingdoms, and suffers from an overly
complex typology, which is not accepted by the numismatic community. This has led to
a position where Northumbrian coinage, which is one of the richest sources for the
period, is under-used and often misunderstood. Until recently it was assumed that their
production stopped c.867 due to Viking attacks and civil war, however, finds of these
pennies have been made in the last two decades at Viking winter camps. To reassess Northumbrian pennies, I have created a new periodisation, which is used
to assess the relative chronology of sites. It is coupled with a revised absolute
chronology, based on numismatic data, which advances the regal years of the kings of
Northumbria several years forward. Coupled with the historical dates of the Viking
winter camps at Torksey (872-3) and Aldwark (c.875), this enables hoards and
archaeological sites to be redated. It also determines that production and circulation of
Northumbrian pennies continued into the late 870s, a decade at least after it was
assumed to have ceased
The role of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) trafficking in Syndecan-4-regulated migration
No full textEpidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling is important for fibroblast migration and tissue repair. Upon EGF binding, EGFR forms asymmetric dimers and undergoes rapid internalization through clathrin-mediated and clathrin-independent endocytic pathways. The intracellular fate of EGFR-recycling or degradation-is highly dependent on extracellular ligand concentration, with low EGF levels favoring recycling and high concentrations promoting lysosomal degradation. While tyrosine phosphorylation initiates EGFR activation, serine/threonine phosphorylation provides additional regulatory control, particularly over receptor trafficking and turnover.
A transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan named syndecan-4（SDC4） functions as a co-receptor for EGFR and is strongly induced during wound healing. SDC4 has been shown to activate protein kinase Cα (PKCα) and modulate downstream signaling events essential for directional cell migration. Despite evidence linking SDC4 to EGFR signaling, the mechanistic relationship between these two receptors especially in the context of endocytosis remains poorly defined.
In this study, we investigated the role of SDC4 in regulating EGFR trafficking and EGF induced fibroblast migration. We show that loss of SDC4 disrupts EGFR internalization and impairs phosphorylation following EGF stimulation. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed a broad effect of phosphorylation events in the absence of SDC4, suggesting that SDC4 is required for proper EGFR signals.
Our findings reveal a novel regulatory linking syndecan-4, PKCα, and EGFR, providing new insight into how extracellular matrix engagement shapes receptor-mediated signaling and cell migration. These results have implications for therapeutic strategies in wound healing, where EGF responsiveness may depend on SDC4 expression and function
The Use of Visual Imagery in Music Performance
Get PDFThis thesis presents three studies that develop understanding of the role of visual imagery (VI) in music performance and education, investigating its use in music performance and teaching from musicians’ perspectives. The first study, based on an online survey of musicians, provided an overview of the general characteristics of VI, showing variations in its frequency, intensity, types, and perceived helpfulness. The findings further revealed that these characteristics were linked to musical factors (e.g., the emotional content of a composition, musical elements, and genres) as well as musician-related factors (e.g., emotional state, performance context, and familiarity with the music). Building on these findings, the second study explored the relationships between VI, music, and emotion from performers’ perspectives in a performance context. The results demonstrated that the dyadic and triadic interactions among these elements form a dynamic recursive process, in which each shapes the others within an interpretive loop that often supports performance. The third study employed an action research approach to explore the role of VI in music teaching, showing that VI can play an important role in the communicative process between teachers and students, fostering musical understanding, expressive development, emotional engagement, and cross-cultural exchange. Taken together, these studies provide new insights into the ways VI operates in musical contexts and offer practical recommendations for its pedagogical application. At the same time, limitations such as the small sample size and narrow range of genres highlight the need for larger, more diverse studies across cultural contexts. Future research should also examine practical applications of VI in performance and education, including strategies for its intentional use. Overall, this thesis offers a performer-centred perspective on how VI relates to music and emotion in both performance and pedagogy, while underscoring the need for context-sensitive approaches and further empirical investigation
What is happening in a HART consultation? A multi-methodological exploration of a group consultation framework
Get PDFWithin this study, the Hull Attachment Resilience and Trauma (HART) consultation framework is explored using a multi-methodological analysis. A single case study design employed observation to capture what is happening in a HART consultation.
From the analysis three main themes were identified; ‘fluid enactment of roles’ related to how the participants engaged in discussion from multiple perspectives throughout the HART – some roles enabled catharsis and others were more resonant of contained neutrality; ‘conscious engagement with the story’ related to the conscious happenings such as joining the dots and working together; whilst the final theme ‘subconscious manifestations’ referred to the psychoanalytical processes within the group consultation.
The discourse analysis is built upon ideas from the primary analysis, considering how educational psychologists can use their power to flatten power and enable the ‘subconscious manifestations’ defined within the primary analysis
Flood generation in South Dhofar: hydrodynamic modelling and identifying management challenges
No full textThere is a lack of studies on flooding in dryland regions, despite these systems covering 41.5 % of the Earth’s land surface and being home to 44% of the world’s human population. Here I examined flood management and flood datasets in Dhofar governate, Oman, finding major problems with hydrometeorological infrastructure, communication and the existing flood risk maps. These issues hamper flood preparedness. Hydrological and hydraulic models were developed for Sahalnout, Darbat, and Hamran catchments in the study region, modelling three previous significant flood events (2002, 2018, and 2020). The model validation used a range of data sources including conversations with experts, citizen surveys, and remote sensing. The area-weighted discharge contribution was calculated for the main tributaries in the three catchments. For example, Raithout tributary in Sahalnout contributed the greatest discharge in the 2020 event (325 mm) and the 2002 event (201 mm) compared to the other tributaries in the same catchment, most likely due to the greater drainage density of these tributaries. For the three catchments, several major tributaries peaked at almost the same time as the peak in the main channel suggesting that they could be good candidates for upstream management to attenuate and slow the peak. A set of scenarios was tested using modelling. When small dams were installed in stream channels, the flood velocity and peak discharge were reduced but the depth and flooded urban area increased. Larger rainfall intensities/volumes of 1.15 and 1.30 times that of a baseline storm led to a non-linear increase in peak discharge and inundated area. When upland areas were well vegetated the downstream flood impact was reduced, while overgrazing had the opposite effect, particularly in downstream sub-catchments. The findings support consideration of new spatial approaches to mitigate impacts of flooding in populated arid zones
Advancing Space Weather Prediction: Machine Learning and Bayesian Modelling for CMEs and Coronal Jets
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the use of Machine Learning (ML) and Bayesian inference to improve the prediction and understanding of Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), a critical aspect of space weather forecasting. Several ML techniques, including supervised learning methods such as support vector machines, decision trees, and ensemble methods, are used to develop predictive models based on CME data, aiming to enhance the accuracy of CME arrival time forecasts. A key focus is placed on model interpretability, achieved through Shapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) values, which provide insights into the feature space and allow for a better understanding of how different variables influence model outputs. Additionally, the thesis applies Bayesian inference and Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) techniques to refine probabilistic models of CME propagation using drag-based models, further improving the robustness and reliability of the predictions. The work also extends ML applications to the study of other solar phenomena, specifically coronal jets, by augmenting the dataset for jet identification. This leads to increased dataset diversity, improved detection of rare events, and a better understanding of solar dynamics. Overall, this thesis presents advancements in the application of ML and Bayesian techniques to space weather forecasting and the study of solar phenomena. The tools and methods developed in this research hold considerable potential for future applications, with the capacity to improve prediction accuracy and mitigate the impacts of space weather on technological systems
Cancer treatment pathway and policy in Ghana: A mixed method study
Get PDFBackground
Cancer poses an increasing burden on health and wellbeing globally and although treatment advances have been made, there are considerable inequities in access to cancer care. This is the case in Ghana, where many people do not utilise cancer services and this represents a key concern for policymakers to address. This mixed methods research aimed to explore cancer pathways and policy in northern Ghana, a geographic area covering five regions with higher deprivation and where research is lacking.
Methods
Applying the transformative paradigm, this study combined analysis of Tamale Teaching Hospital cancer records, qualitative narrative interviews and creative activities with patients and family members, pathway mapping with clinical informants and a broader stakeholder workshop. Quantitative data was analysed in R, using multivariate logistic regression and multiple imputation for missing data. Qualitative data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. These findings were then triangulated at the stakeholder workshop.
Findings
High levels of treatment drop out were reported and only 27% of people completed treatment although missing data was common, limiting further analysis. Better understanding of the patient pathway was gathered through clinical interviews, which indicated challenges with health system capacity and referral from rural regions. Narrative interviews highlighted both the psychological but also financial burden of cancer; participants’ creative artwork offered powerful visual reminders of these experiences. The stakeholder workshop highlighted the need to improve data collection, cross-site collaboration, health insurance coverage of cancer, and provide holistic care to meet patients psychological, social, and spiritual needs.
Discussion and conclusion
This study has highlighted the need to improve northern Ghana cancer services outcomes, affordability, and equity; unique patient insights and stakeholder suggestions offer clear opportunities to make policy and practice change. Closer working with communities and establishing cancer surveillance in northern Ghana offer further opportunities for holistic cancer care, aligned with patient values
Development of prodrugs targeting DNA repair as novel anti-cancer therapeutics for neuroblastoma
No full textFamilies in Arms: British Army Officers, Military Families and the Shared Experience of War, 1793-1815
No full textThis thesis examines the experience of war of British army officers and their parents
and siblings during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815). Challenging an
enduring tendency to treat military and civilian experiences of these conflicts as essentially distinct, this thesis brings into dialogue front and home and shows how war emerges as a shared and affective experience between British officers overseas and their families in Britain. It emphasises in particular the experience of mourning and memorialisation, integral components of wartime experience still overlooked in the historiography, and provides the first sustained study of epitaphs to the fallen during these wars.
Chapter one considers how becoming an officer was a ‘family affair’, and highlights
how the military and the family, as formative institutions of the British masculine elite,
intersected much more than has been previously appreciated. Chapter two argues for the
centrality of relationships between officers and their parents in the experience of war,
exploring how the military and filial identities of officers were co-constructed. Chapter
three suggests how sibling relationships provide a neglected but fruitful framework for
investigating the intersection of the front and home, and explores how military brothers
remained involved in their siblings’ lives. Chapter four addresses the experiences of
bereaved families as they mourned both a loved one and a soldier, often in the absence of a body, making mourning an experience mediated between the front and home. Chapter five turns to the memorialisation of the fallen by their families, locating their experiences within public discourses on the wars, and highlighting their roles in the democratization of the figure of the military hero
Advancing Visual-Instrumental Agreement in Dental Colorimetry: Development and Validation of Novel Assessment Methodologies
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the measurement of tooth colour in restorative dentistry and its relationship to visual perception, challenging longstanding assumptions in dental colour science. While instrumental approaches have traditionally treated tooth colour as a physical property measurable in spaces such as CIELAB or CAM16-UCS, this research emphasises the psychophysical nature of colour perception and the role of parametric effects—such as translucency, morphology, and surface texture—in determining appearance.
Through a series of experimental studies, the thesis introduces the Visual Instrument Agreement Scale (VIAS), a novel method for evaluating the congruency between visual assessments and device-based measurements.
The research also provides a detailed mapping of the natural tooth colour gamut, identifying 1,173 perceptually unique colours and introducing a compact system of 92 ‘super shades’ capable of minimising shade matching error. Furthermore, the study critically examines the impact of illuminant metamerism and finds it to be clinically negligible in modern materials.
In addressing device-dependent variability, this work proposes updated perceptibility and acceptability thresholds and confirms the superior performance of the ∆E*ab colour difference equation for visual-instrumental consistency. These findings support a shift away from rigid notions of “accuracy and precision” and toward perceptually grounded, context-specific evaluation methods in dental colourimetry.
This thesis contributes a new framework for shade-matching performance evaluation and offers practical pathways toward digital, shade-guide-free workflows in restorative dentistry
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