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Hydrodynamics of ebb-tidal jet and circulations within a tidal inlet and embayed beach system
No full textTidal inlets are integral components of many coastal systems worldwide, facilitating water, sediment, and ecological exchange between estuaries and the coastal ocean. Under specific geomorphological and hydrodynamic conditions, outflows of tidal inlets can form jet-like structures, known as ebb-tidal jets, that extend offshore and play a significant role in shaping coastal morphology and the circulation within and around the inlet system. Despite their importance, the structure, dynamics, and broader implications of ebb-tidal jets remain poorly understood globally.
At Montrose Bay in eastern Scotland, UK, a tidal inlet at the southern end is reported to generate a jet-like outflow in response to the flushing action during the ebb tide. This outflow is an example of an ebb-tidal jet. Montrose’s ebb-tidal jet develops within the proximity of beaches that have experienced a rapid shoreline recession, approximately 2 m/year. However, the formation and significance of Montrose’s ebb-tidal jet are still poorly understood, an issue that extends to similar coastal systems globally.
This thesis examines the hydrodynamics of ebb-tidal jets and their influence on the circulation within their coastal system, using Montrose Bay as a primary case study. A series of numerical modelling investigations were conducted using the Delft3D Flexible Mesh in both depth-averaged and three-dimensional modes. The study examined the structure, dynamics, and variability of the ebb-tidal jet under different forcing conditions, progressing from tidal-only simulations to wave-current interactions and density-driven flows. Insights from Montrose were then extended to three other estuarine systems in the UK through an idealised modelling framework.
At Montrose Bay, simulations validated against an ADCP measurement (RMSE 0.885) and satellite imagery revealed a highly asymmetrical ebb-tidal jet resulting from the interplay between the outflow jet, shoreline features, and ambient tidal current. Under tidal forcing alone, the jet exited the inlet at speeds of up to 2.2 m/s, extended over 2 km north-eastward offshore, and was accompanied by a counter-clockwise eddy with a flow speed of 0.5 m/s and a diameter larger than 1 km. This eddy formed a predominantly southward flow region for around 80% of the tidal cycle. During high-wave conditions, the jet’s interaction with wave-induced longshore currents formed a conduit mechanism for sediment export. Wave directions from the north-east impact a seaward push to the ebb-tidal jet, thereby promoting offshore transport. While the south-east waves induced a northward longshore current at the tip of the sheltering headland and deflected the ebb-tidal jet landward, then facilitated a northward sediment bypassing. Three-dimensional modelling validated with satellite images further identified that the ebb-tidal jet formed a buoyant surface plume of 0.5-1.0 m thickness capable of travelling up to 7 km offshore, driven by a combination of jet-induced launching, lateral spreading by the eddy, and advection and diffusion by the ambient current. Under a high discharge event, the plume could spread up to 17 km away from the inlet.
These findings were extended to three other estuarine systems using an idealised model. The results provided a first-order demonstration of the ebb-tidal jet structures, dynamics, and variability at those systems, that are in a good agreement against the turbid outflow observed in satellite imagery. Across all systems, high wave events activated similar sediment export conduit mechanisms that potentially transported sediment away from inlet-adjacent beaches. Their plumes behave similarly to those previously observed at Montrose.
This study offers the first comprehensive visualisation of the ebb-tidal jet at Montrose Bay and three other estuarine systems across the UK, demonstrating their temporal and spatial variability under different forcing conditions. The findings offer a new conceptual understanding of the sediment export mechanism induced by jet-wave interactions. It also demonstrates that the small-scale plume produced in such a system could travel a longer distance than earlier studies suggested. These insights are relevant for coastal management, as similar systems across the world are facing similar challenges, including simultaneous beach erosion, inlet sedimentation, and the development of a more efficient dredging-deposition strategy.
In conclusion, this thesis makes a significant contribution to the understanding of ebb-tidal jet hydrodynamics and their significance, with findings applicable not only to Montrose Bay but also to other similar systems across the UK and the world
See it. Say it. Sorted: Emotional labour within British Transport Police operations at Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station
No full textThis thesis demonstrates that emotional labour in hybrid policing environments functions as a distinct policing technology of control, shaping public interactions, fostering subjective security, and addressing stakeholder demands. Emotional labour is not merely a byproduct of policing but a critical operational mechanism that officers strategically deploy in hybrid security environments. This study also reveals distinct archetypes and strategies which constables utilise to navigate the emotional labour demands they experience within their role where they need to balance professional obligation, personal well-being and the collective occupational culture in which they operate as a British Transport Police (BTP) constable. Additionally, this thesis explores the intersection of emotional labour and dirty work within the context of a hybrid policing environment, namely Edinburgh’s Waverley railway station in Scotland. It focuses on the operations of the BTP within this space and how it has become a very particular form of public/private policing hybrid, its officers' working lives characterised by competing demands of emotional labour and operational effectiveness and the careful management of occupational identities and mental health and safety.
By situating emotional labour within contemporary policing technologies, I offer a significant theoretical contribution, demonstrating emotional labour’s role in fostering subjective security and bridging the gap between public and private interests in hybrid governance structures. The findings challenge traditional, force-based policing paradigms and advocate for the formal integration of emotional labour into policing frameworks within modern law enforcement. I argue that the hybridity the BTP experiences exacerbates emotional labour demands and requirements experienced within hybridised environments. This exacerbation prompts the adoption of heightened customer service expectations amongst BTP constables and results in the prioritisation of the maintenance of calm within their jurisdiction and the adoption of softer policing approaches as an informal standard operating procedure
The dialectics of image circulation: media, mood and contemporary architecture
No full textThis thesis seeks to address the research question: Can visitors enter an authentic experiential mode through bodily-sensory experiences and photo-taking/sharing activities when interacting with Instagrammable architecture? For philosopher Byung-Chul Han, most visitors are easily drawn into the saturated visual stimuli of Instagrammable buildings, which may lead them to lose self-autonomy. He views excessive digital practices in the social network age as forms of violence because they induce emotional burnout, attentional fatigue and neglect of poetic dwelling. However, this thesis contends that Han overlooks the potential for media practices to foster diverse existential possibilities and social transformation. According to the theory of philosopher Martin Heidegger, this thesis proposes an integrative methodology called ‘dialectical phenomenology’ and contends that visitors can reveal emotional authenticity through mood attunement during the process of producing spatial Instagrammability.
This integrative methodology operates on two levels: historical and phenomenological. On the one hand, its historical perspective provides a broad view, showing how both historical and contemporary cases help us acquire a holistic understanding of spatial Instagrammability. On the other hand, the phenomenological perspective offers a detailed view, using phenomenological objective descriptions and subjective interpretations to analyse data and reveal visitors’ authentic experiential modes. Accordingly, this thesis assesses the spatial-visual aspects of two historical buildings (Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye and Aldo Rossi’s San Cataldo Cemetery) and treats them as test cases. These two tests yield key preliminary findings, which can be applied to broader investigations of contemporary cases and contribute to the development of conclusive research outcomes. For Villa Savoye, this thesis collects three phenomenological datasets through space syntax’s visual analysis techniques (visibility graph analysis, convex space analysis and axial line analysis) and identifies three spatial-visual features (visual boundary, visual ritual and visual outflow). For San Cataldo Cemetery, this thesis uses visibility graph analysis, axial line analysis and agent movement analysis to identify visual monotony, visual association and visual cycle. These findings suggest that visitors first interact with Villa Savoye’s transparent spatial image and San Cataldo Cemetery’s historical spatial image through intrinsic bodily/affective intentionality; they engage in spatial wandering activities to cultivate specific attuned moods; then they take photogenic pictures and share them on social media, committing to preserving and politicising their emotional attachments to the locations in which they are situated.
Based on the insights from these two tests, this thesis introduces four phenomenology-related methods (phenomenological observation, questionnaire survey, semi-structured interview and participatory sensory form survey) to explore the existential meanings of visitors’ experiences at four Chinese Instagrammable buildings. Participants’ phenomenological descriptions reveal that some people challenge the inherent violence in Instagrammable architecture; they strive to achieve therapeutic affective intersubjectivities through active practices related to emotional attachment, emotional activism and emotional rights. Ultimately, the thesis concludes that visitors can enter into authentic experiential modes and exert socio-political impacts through therapeutic bodily movements and the creation/circulation of Instagrammable spatial images
Phosphatase regulation of the spindle assembly checkpoint in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans
No full textAccurate chromosome segregation during mitosis is essential for preserving genome stability. The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) safeguards this process by delaying anaphase onset until all chromosomes achieve proper microtubule–kinetochore attachments. Although SAC activation has been extensively studied, the mechanisms that terminate checkpoint signalling remain less well understood, especially in non-model organisms. This thesis addresses phosphatase-mediated regulation of SAC silencing in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, with emphasis on the conserved phosphatases PP1α (orthologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Glc7) and PP2A-B56γ (orthologous to the Rts1 regulatory subunit).
Cryptococcus neoformans undergoes striking ploidy transitions during infection, including the formation of highly polyploid titan cells that contribute to virulence, drug resistance, and persistence in the host. Such plasticity places strong demands on mitotic fidelity, underscoring the importance of SAC regulation.
Through CRISPR-based genome editing, mutant analysis, live-cell imaging, single-cell microfluidics, and biochemical assays, I show that SAC silencing in C. neoformans requires short linear motifs that recruit PP1α and PP2A-B56γ. PP1α binding depends on SILK and RVSF motifs within Spc105, while PP2A-B56γ engages an LxxIxE- region of Bub1. Disruption of these motifs leads to persistent Bub1 localisation at kinetochores, mitotic delay, and hypersensitivity to microtubule perturbation. Unlike canonical yeast models, C. neoformans lacks a BubR1/Mad3 paralogue and instead relies on Bub1 to coordinate both checkpoint activation and silencing. To dissect phosphatase action independently of kinetochores, I established a synthetic checkpoint assay (SynCheck), based on chemically induced dimerisation of Spc105 and Mps1. This approach revealed distinct, non-redundant contributions of PP1α and PP2A-B56γ to silencing. Importantly, Bub1–B56γ interaction also promotes reduction in titan cell viability, linking mitotic regulation to pathogenic morphogenesis.
Collectively, these findings reveal a rewired silencing axis in C. neoformans, illuminate the principles of phosphatase-driven mitotic regulation, and suggest that the Bub1–B56γ interface represents a potential antifungal therapeutic target
Pre-Retrofit Checks for your Historic Home
Get PDFA self‑guided, pre‑retrofit checklist designed for owners of historic and traditional properties. It presents clear statements with check prompts for both the exterior and interior, guiding owners to complete basic condition checks and flag areas requiring professional follow‑up before carrying out any retrofit work. The worksheet is tailored for window improvements but can be adapted for other retrofits and includes safety tips on how to obtain good exterior views. When used to prepare for a window improvement, the worksheet is best read with “Retrofitting Historic Sash and Case Window – A Quick Start Guide for Homeowners” also available in ERA (https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/41922)
Applying InSAR to investigate peatland surface motion at Slamannan Bog, North Lanarkshire
No full textThe effective management of Scotland’s peatlands is of national interest, both from the perspective of climate mitigation and from one of nature conservation. Within recent years, growing attention has turned to the use of peatland surface motion as a potential means to monitor peat condition. This research applies InSAR (interferometric synthetic aperture radar) to investigate peatland surface motion at Slamannan Bog, North Lanarkshire. Through the use of the open-source package LiCSBAS, a time series of displacement is generated for the period 12 March 2015 to 29 February 2024. The results indicate a long-term trend of subsidence, with an average vertical velocity of -3.8 mm/yr across the study area. However, when referring to incremental displacements, it is shown that this trend is not linear and instead, is seemingly driven by prominent episodes of subsidence during drought and/or extreme heat. Further work should be dedicated to exploring the physical mechanisms of peat recovery (or lack thereof) from these climatic extremes. While this research indicated that the peat surface elevation did not make a full recovery – potentially linked to the irreversible compaction of peat soil – an enhanced understanding of this mechanism would allow for more informed recommendations for future peatland management
'Stolen stories?': language, narrative, and power in the contemporary criminal courts
Get PDFInsights from the nascent field of Narrative Criminology highlight the importance of storytelling for individuals going through the criminal justice process, particularly in the way they fight for ownership over their stories in opposition to legal forces. However, these observations tend to be made in post-hoc studies – after processes such as trials, judgments, and sentencing – leaving uncertain how narrative construction is negotiated in interaction in the courtroom. Indeed, research in Law and Language suggests there are limited opportunities for individuals to “tell their stories their own way,” as the altered rules for talk-in-interaction in court place disproportionate language-using and narrative-building power on legal professionals over lay participants.
This thesis explores the courtroom as a site for the fruitful study of relationships between language, narrative, and power, with an initial motivator being to evaluate how appropriate or useful the metaphor of “narrative theft” is to describe what happens in Western adversarial criminal trials. To that end, an approach that draws on conversation analysis and narrative analysis serves to explore how rights to speak are negotiated in interaction between legal professionals and lay participants in court and how narratives are constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed in interaction based on these dynamics.
Three case studies are considered: the trial of Adnan Syed in the United States, which was documented in publicly available legal transcripts; the trial of Derek Chauvin regarding the death of George Floyd in the United States, which was publicly broadcast and recorded; and a murder trial that took place in New Zealand, which was accessed in real-time virtually.
This thesis finds that rights to speak and lay claim to knowledge are considered vis-à-vis a clear but flexible hierarchy of epistemic authority, that determines which stories individuals do and do not have a right to tell. Far from being passively disempowered, however, some lay participants resist this hierarchy, in the fight to “use their own words” and have them be accepted in legal proceedings. Tropes, as a particular type of story, emerge as important not only in general sense-making in court but also as a tool in the negotiation of rights to be heard and accepted.
Ultimately, this thesis maps out some of the assumptions and boundaries inherent in the metaphor of narrative theft and suggests some ways it may or may not be a useful lens through which to further explore courtroom proceedings
Heligmosomoides polygyrus-induced serum factors limit respiratory syncytial virus titres; a potential role for CCL8
Get PDFHeligmosomoides polygyrus (H. polygyrus) is a naturally occurring intestinal nematode that employs immunomodulatory mechanisms towards the establishment of long term chronic infections within mice. The robust host Type 2 immune response to H. polygyrus infection can lead to a subdual of excess inflammation caused by a Type 1 immune response. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common viral respiratory infections among infants, young children, immunocompromised and elderly individuals. Infections with RSV lead to high rates of infant hospitalisation and mortality amongst low-income countries. Previously, there were no effective antiviral treatments, or vaccines for under 75’s and those who were hospitalised received supportive care. Very recently RSV vaccination for those over 75 and passive immunisation against RSV in young infants (nirsevimab, maternal vaccination) have become available. Enhancing our understanding of the anti-viral response to RSV remains important to develop therapies that limit RSV burden and disease. H. polygyrus infection in mice has protective antiviral effects against RSV in the lung through induction of a microbiota-dependent Type I interferon response. H. polygyrus infection also leads to systemic monocytosis, contributing to elevated mononuclear phagocyte numbers in the lung, that reduces peak viral load of RSV. Despite this growing understanding of the anti-viral effects of H. polygyrus, a key question remains of how a strictly enteric infection induces these pulmonary responses.
Transfer of acellular serum from H. polygyrus infected mice (H. polygyrus serum) has been found to replicate the induction of interferons and reduction of RSV burden in recipient mice. A proteomic analysis of H. polygyrus serum revealed several elevated cytokines including Ccl8. This study aimed to investigate if H. polygyrus serum drives monocytosis and if Ccl8 chemokine is required for the antiviral effects of H. polygyrus serum to be sucsessful against RSV. Following transfer of H. polygyrus serum or control serum, flow cytometry of tail vein blood was undertaken to assess induction of monocytosis. To test the role of Ccl8 in H. polygyrus serum, antibody mediated depletion of Ccl8 was performed before transfer to naïve animals and subsequent infection with RSV 24 hours post serum transfer. Viral load within the lungs was assessed using RSV immunoplaque assays.
Mice that received H. polygyrus serum depleted of Ccl8 displayed a higher viral load 4 days post RSV infection, compared to mice that received control or non-depleted H. polygyrus serum. Furthermore, flow cytometry of blood samples taken 24 and 48 hours after serum transfer revealed that mice receiving H. polygyrus serum had lower levels of classical monocytes compared to mice that received control serum. Four days after the transfer, mice that received H. polygyrus serum also showed a lower level of classical monocytes and higher levels of non-classical monocytes compared to mice that received control serum. However, it can be concluded that monocyte percentages tend to be lower with H. polygyrus serum transfer, but these differences were not statistically significant from day 1 to day 4 post serum transfer.
Based on the findings, it can be concluded that there is a recurring theme within mice receiving H. polygyrus serum displaying lower levels of classical monocytes in the blood throughout the 6 days. Additionally, the Ccl8 cytokine appears to play a crucial role in providing anti-viral protection as mice receiving H. polygyrus serum depleted of Ccl8 displayed a higher viral load compared to those receiving control or H. polygyrus serum without Ccl8 depletion. These results highlight the potential of H. polygyrus induced serum in modulating immune responses and reducing viral load, emphasising the importance of further understanding the mechanisms involved within the process of anti-viral protection
Beyond the floorplan: designing narrative-driven virtual workspaces
Get PDFThis dissertation proposes a narrative-driven model for virtual interior design,
positioning digital space as both an expressive medium and a tool for creative
identity. Using an original FAF (Form, Aesthetic, Focus) framework, this
research combines spatial theory with digital practice to explore how virtual
interiors can evoke emotions, support narratives, and express brand ethos.
The framework explores Le Corbusier’s spatial logic, theories of liminality,
and Vidler’s concept of spatial anxiety to analyse how form, aesthetic, and focus
contribute to spatial meaning. It responds to the underexplored potential
of virtual interiors as narrative and identity-bearing spaces, moving beyond
functionality toward affective spatial expression.
Structured in two parallel phases, the project integrates practice-led and research-
led methodologies. Phase 1 centres on the Grand Music Studio, a virtual
set for the animated short Intonation, designed and developed in Unreal Engine.
Here, the focus lies in embodied authorship and emotional spatial storytelling.
Phase 2 applies theoretical insights from a qualitative questionnaire to design
the Virtual Creative Studio Workspace for A JNIK STUDIO, exploring how
spatial narratives can inform digital-first branding without a physical floor plan.
Together, these phases demonstrate that virtual interiors can function not only
as functional environments but as narrative agents, spaces that express intention,
identity, and affect. This research offers an applied framework for rethinking
creative studios as digitally inhabitable, story-driven spaces within the evolving
creative landscape
Quantitative mass spectrometry analysis of NANOG partner proteins
No full textThe transcription factor NANOG is a dose-dependent regulator of mouse embryonic stem cell
(ESC) self-renewal. The interaction of NANOG with partner proteins is thought to regulate self-renewal.
However, the functional significance of many of these interactions remains poorly understood. While previous proteomic studies identified NANOG-associated proteins in ESCs, these were limited by non-quantitative methods, precluding insights into interaction stoichiometry and dynamic changes under varying mutations.
In this thesis, I used label-free quantitative mass spectrometry to analyse the NANOG interactome in mouse embryonic stem cells. This provided comprehensive lists of interactors with quantitative information on interaction abundances, providing further insight into protein-protein interactions of NANOG in ESC.
The DNA binding domain of NANOG is a homeodomain. Previous research identified serine
131 (S131) within the homeodomain as a casein kinase I (CKI) phosphorylation site. The
phosphomimetic NANOG mutant S131D enhances ESC self-renewal efficiency in the absence
of LIF without altering DNA binding capacity. Quantitative mass spectrometry of the S131D
mutant revealed increased protein interactions compared to WT NANOG in the presence and
absence of LIF. Among the enriched proteins, transcription activator Gli1 showed the highest
robustness, implicating potential roles in self-renewal regulation.
NANOG contains a low-complexity domain (LCD) consisting of ten repeats of a penta-peptide
moBf where every fi[h residue is a tryptophan. This tryptophan repeat (WR) is essential for
ESC self-renewal, as tryptophan to alanine substitution (W10A-NANOG) abolishes self-renewal
in the absence of leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Comparative analysis of WTNANOG
and W10A-NANOG interactomes revealed disruptions in protein interactions in
W10A-NANOG. Furthermore, replacing the WR region with the LCD domain of an unrelated
protein, TIA restores self-renewal in the absence of LIF. The interactome of TIA-NANOG
identified the possible NANOG interactors related to self-renewal and suggested the
hypothesis that NANOG promotes interactions by forming a higher-order oligomer.
This work highlights the power of quantitative mass spectrometry to advance understanding
of NANOG interactomes. The findings underscore the critical roles of the WR and
homeodomain in mediating NANOG-partner protein interactions, thereby providing further
insights into their contributions to the maintenance of ESC self-renewal
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