Restricted Theses

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The jade trade in ancient Japan : an archaeological investigation of the jade exchange network in Aomori during the Jomon period (14,000-500 BC)
(2015-10) Braddick, Izumi Rebekah,
This thesis focuses on Jomon era Japan and examines how an extensive jade exchange network developed in the remote Aomori region of northern Tohoku. After presenting definitions of Japan, Jomon, and jade, it offers a brief historical survey of the jade bead culture in Jomon Japan. Centred around four unresolved 'puzzles', the main body of the thesis explores the distribution, production, and function of jade beads in Aomori, with a special emphasis on their role as an expression of social inequality. This thesis concludes that Jomon Japan does not fit the standard model of an 'egalitarian' hunter-gatherer society, because elements of social hierarchy had emerged in the Aomori region during the Final Jomon period. Jade beads were one of the most significant markers of this inequality. Drawing on an extensive range of primary archaeological data in Japanese, as well as relevant English and Japanese secondary sources, this thesis presents a unique insight into the jade trade of ancient Japan.
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Some aspects of the biology of Velacumantus australis (Quoy and Gaimard) (Gastropoda: Potamididae)
(1967) Ewers, William Hector
Velacurnantus australis (Quoy and Gaimard) (Gastropoda: Potamididae) is common in estuaries, coastal lakes and sheltered bays along the eastern coast of Australia, south of the Tropic of Capricorn, along the eastern part of the Victorian coast and the southwest part of the coast of Western Australia. It also occurs in Tasmania. Recent fossils of the species are present in Western Victoria and South Australia.The life cycle can be divided into a number of stages that may be distinguished by characteristics of the shell. There is probably only one breeding season each year, and most snails probably reproduce in their second year. The life span is probably at least five years and possibly six.The males are aphallic and the sexes can be recognised from the appearance of the gonads. Males tend to be longer than females, but in most age groups the females tend to be heavier than males of the same length and age.The habitat of the species is described and it is suggested that the distribution is limited by the availability of suitable habitat. The distribution of V. australis is similar to that of a number of other molluscs which live in similar habitats and it is suggested that the distribution of these species is more likely to be governed by intolerance to high temperatures rather than low ones. Adjacent populations of V. australis sometimes vary considerably in mean length. However, length increases clinally down the eastern coast of Australia.V, australis harbours several larval trematode parasites which infect the digestive glands and gonads, The incidence of these infections varies considerably in different populations. Within a single population incidence varies with age, The oldest snails usually have the highest incidence of infection, and infections do not occur in the smallest Juveniles, The incidence of infection also varies with length, in snails of the same age, and the relationship between the incidence of infection and length is different in snails of different age groups. Snails with oysters attached to their shells have a higher incidence of infection than comparable snails with clean shells. In most snails harbouring heavy infections of larval trematodes no traces of gonad remain, and in snails with light infections the gonad tissue is reduced and usually atrophied. Infected snails tend to be heavier than comparable uninfected snails and the increase appears to be due to an increase in the weight of the digestive gland-gonad. Boring gastropods and fish are important predators of V. australis. Examination of one sample of shell material suggested that about 60% of the snails had died of predation. V. australis is polymorphic in respect to shell banding. A white banded form occurs in all age groups of all the populations examined from the Australian mainland. It has a frequency exceeding 1% in all populations examined, except one from Tasmania and those from Pt. Phillip Bay, Victoria. The frequency of this form tends to be highest in small Juveniles and lowest in Old Adults. It is usually about the same in living and fossil samples from the same or nearby localities which suggests that the polymorphism is balanced and very";stable. Adjacent populations usually have similar frequencies which suggests that the selective forces are much the same in adjacent • I C'C localities.Banded snails are less often infected with larval trematodes than unbanded snails, These infections cause either complete castration or considerable degeneration of the gonads. It is suggested that parasitism plays an important part in the maintenance of the polymorphism. If this is so, there should be a relationship between the incidence of larval trematode infection and the frequency of banded snails, and data from a number of populations suggest that there is such a relationship. Certain boring gastropods and fish may be responsible for differential predation on banded and unbanded snails.Selection pressures other than those due to parasitism and predation probably play a part in,the maintenance of the polymorphism. The frequency of the white banded form decreases clinally with latitude Os. Living populations from Queensland and northern New South Wales have frequencies between 7 - 18%, whereas all populations from southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria, except those from Lake Illawarra, have frequencies between 2-5%. The frequency in Port Phillip Bay is less than 0.1%. The frequency in a sample from Swan River, Western Australia, was 9.1% about the same as in samples from localities of the same latitude on the eastern coast of Australia.
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The fluvial geomorphology of the Murray River : the role of inheritance
(1973-01) Urquhart, J. M
The complex meandering and anabranching course of the Murray River on the Riverine Plain of South-eastern Australia reflects inheritance of characteristics left by its ancestral precursors active during Late Quaternary time. In this study the historical development of the Murray forms a basis for explaining its modern characteristics.Radiocarbon dating supported by a comparison of ancestral river morphology and sediments permits a reconstruction of their evolution and palaeohydrology. Between 16,000 and 13,000 B.P. a major reduction of water and sediment discharge occurred while ancestral rivers changed to predominantly suspended load initiating the smaller Edward and Goulburn Rivers within their floodplains. Derived from these, the Murray formed its present course by a series of diversions around 8 500 B.P. Rates and patterns of pointbar sedimentation and morphologic adjustments related to this event demonstrate the stability of the Murray to the present time. Hydrologic behaviour of the river continues to reflect inheritance from the Edward and Goulburn Rivers in its downstream variations as well as in the adjustments to 45 years regulation. The morphology and sediments associated with the. Murray and its meander pattern demonstrate inheritance also from older ancestral rivers. Those active between 13,000 and 20,000 B.P. were responsible for the large flood plains which are traversed by the Murray. The sediments of these now form the banks of the river and exert a major influence in association with discharge on the size, shape and sediment type of the channel and its pointbars. Although visually apparent differences exist between meander patterns along its course, spectral analysis does not discriminate between these. Moreover relationships of its discharge to meander wavelength and those relating channel shape to sediment type are different for the Murray than those developed for North American rivers. Murray data cast doubt on a number of former notions of channel morphologic adjustments to river discharge. The controlling effects of sediment load as well as type on the Murray and its palaeochannels suggest these factors must be included in relationships between morphology and discharge. Otherwise such relationships do not have universal applicability.
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Observations on arterial grafts
(1976-12) Reddy, Gajjela Sri Ranga
Allografts and autografts of central ear arteries 0.5 mm in diameter and 10 mm in length were transplanted in rabbit ears and enclosed with transparent plastic discs in place of the reflected skin on either surface of the ear. This experimental model allowed continuous monitoring of grafted vessels by naked eye examination and by in vivo photomicroscopy. Successfully autografted arteries retained spontaneous vasomotor activity and responses to vasoactive drugs in vivo. No autografts thrombosed after the initial 2 hour critical period for surgical trauma. They were found to function for as long as 493 days that they were followed. Morphologically they showed variable degrees of intimal thickening containing numerous myointimal cells from early stages. Medial smooth muscle cells were viable in all the autografts. Many of the successfully allografted arteries thrombosed at 7 to 8 weeks following grafting due to immune reaction. Grafts that survived the immune crisis continued to function as blood conduits for as long as 484 days that they were followed. In general allografts showed progressive loss of spontaneous vasoactivity by about 3 to 4 weeks after grafting. They also showed marked reduction in their response to vasoactive drugs. Morphologically they showed endothelial shedding, severe intimal thickening, medial smooth muscle cell destruction and immune cell infiltration. In the early stages myointimal cells were few in number in the thickened intimae where infiltrating immune cells accounted for the majority of the cells present. By about 150 days after grafting myointimal cells became prominent in the thickened fibrotic intima. Antigenicity of allografted arteries was substantiated by the observation that in the skin grafts exchanged between artery recipient and artery donor rabbits accelerated signs of rejection were observed in the artery recipient rabbits. Evidence was obtained to indicate that myointimal cells were poorly contractile as judged by the response of allografts to vasoactive drugs. Some of the myointimal cells had close morphological similarities to endothelial cells suggesting the possible origin of myointimal cells from endothelial cells.
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Relativistic models of stellar interiors
(1976-04) Boland, John William
Relativistic models of stellar structure are developed from two theories of gravitation. These are the Einstein general theory of relativity and the Brans-Dicke scalar-tensor theory. Each theory is examined in two cases -- the static star and the non-static star. These term refer to the motion of the particles of the star, rather than the motion of the star through space. The differential equations governing a spherically symmetric configuration of perfect fluid are developed for each model. Then methods for solving these equations numerically are developed. Finally the differential equations are solved numerically on a Univac 1108 computer and the results tabulated and discussed.
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Causation in criminology
(1973-04) Hawkes, Raymond
It is not implausible that behind the ordinary man's interest in crime and the criminal there often lurks a hidden envy.
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Recreational impacts on a managed lake shore
(1982-06) Cheng, Suet Ha
Recreational impacts on a managed lake shore park were studied over a period of two years (April 1979 to April 1981). Since the park is still in its developmental stages, influences from factors other than recreational activities were also investigated and compared with those from recreational activities. The intensity of recreational pressure was estimated from monthly visitor counts at weekends. These have given a fair picture of the temporal and spatial variations of the pressure. Impacts were studied using simple ecological methods with the amount of vegetation cover and bare ground, and some soil properties being used as indicators. Constructional works from developmental activities such as the installation of an irrigation system and electric barbecues had great impacts on the recreation area. Complete removal of vegetation was common, and the expansion of bare ground was greatly accelerated when development took place in the season of heaviest visitor use. Changes in climate, particularly rainfall and evaporation, were also important in causing variations to the recreation area. Dry summers caused large scale drying of the vegetation while dry autumns did not allow recovery. Seasonal changes appeared to be the primary factor of influence on this area. A characteristic of recreational use in Canberra is that heaviest visitor use occurs in the hottest months of the year, during which evaporation losses are highest. The consequence of this on thestudy area was a greater removal of dry vegetation, leading to a faster rate of expansion of bare ground. The overall result of this was that the natural recovery cycle of the vegetation was disrupted, and recovery had to be assisted articificially. In this situation, it appeared that the impacts of recreational activities are only secondary to the effects of seasonal conditions. An irrigation system was installed during the second year of this study. Irrigation rectified the effect of adverse seasonal conditions and reduced the impact of heavy recreational pressure. Irrigation when controlled carefully will enable a sustained growth of the vegetation to provide protection to the ground surface and give amenity to the recreation area. Management is becoming more important especially in areas designed for intensive recreation. However, very little information is available on managed sites for informal recreation. This study has attempted to provide some preliminary information and to stimulate further research in this area.
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Phylogeography and speciation of Lomatia and Telopea (Proteaceae)
(2015-04) Milner, Melita Lauma
One of the most frequently asked questions by evolutionary biologists is what determines a species distribution, and can it be explained by vicariance or dispersal processes? This is particularly intriguing in the case of disjunct distributions, and requires an understanding of what came first - the populations or the barriers that separate them. Proteaceae is a diverse family of plants, distributed across most of the southern continents, making it an ideal group to test hypotheses of biogeographical processes in plants at an intercontinental and continental scale. Two genera within the Proteaceae, Lomatia and Telopea, are closely related, and share a similar distribution across eastern Australia, with Lomatia also occurring in South America. This provides an ideal study system to investigate biogeography in eastern Australia and the hypothesis of vicariance across Gondwanan continents. This study uses phylogenetic, phylogeographic and molecular clock analyses to determine the cause of divergence and distribution in Lomatia and Telopea. Both genera have undergone allopatric speciation, followed by secondary contact resulting in hybridisation and introgression. Lomatia displays Gondwanan vicariance biogeographical patterns, however within Australia species with overlapping distribution are not monophyletic, and instead reflect geographical rather than morphological relationships. The study shows that genetic divergence in the genera is related to known historical events, including continental drift, increasing aridity in Australia during the Miocene and glacial cycles during the Quaternary. This study has provided evidence for several important biogeographical barriers within eastern Australia, notably the Hunter River Valley, which is known to affect a number of fauna species but is rarely investigated for flora.
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Tectonics and Metallogenesis of the Western Tethys
(2026) Yeung, Ho Sonia
Geological events driven by plate tectonics affect human society in various ways. Understanding the driving forces allows explanation as to why particular events (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, basin formation, orogenesis) occur at certain times and specific location(s). The prolonged Mediterranean subduction zone under Africa-Europe convergence is an ideal candidate to understand subduction evolution. This prolonged, continuous subduction occurred since the Late Cretaceous provides valuable insights into geological events that take longer to develop (e.g., orogenesis) as well as events that only occur at a specific time in subduction zone evolution (e.g., intermediate-deep earthquakes during slab boudinage). Decades of research across the Mediterranean region have produced controversial tectonic evolution models, and several questions remain. How many oceanic basins were involved in the episodic closure of Mediterranean West Tethys? Can they be observed as subducted slabs? What is their pre-subduction areal extent? Within the accreted terrane stacks, what components are of Gondwanan (Africa) affinity and what were Europe-derived? Is there sufficient 'space' in the suture zone to accommodate their presence and subsequent accretion? How are the region's oroclines created? What is the subduction architecture at depth? And how does this affect the mode of subduction and the region's superficial tectonic deformation? This research systematically constructed 3D slab models beneath the modern Mediterranean basins and linked them with 2D+time tectonic reconstructions on the planet surface. Structures at depth are related to surface crustal deformation events, both at present and in the past. The computer-modelled results are tested for their ability to 'predict' occurrence of tectono-thermal events observed in the field. The twisting motion of a slab segment in the eastern Cyprus arc is identified as the driver of the overall SW-ward lithospheric collapse of Central Anatolia into the Cyprus Arc. This is the precursor to major earthquake events such as the Mw 7.8 then Mw 7.6 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake series. The presence of slab boudinage beneath the Vrancea region, Romania is identified by analysing intermediate depth earthquakes unique to the locality in addition to the 'necking' geometry observed in the tomography data. This admits to the occurrence of slab stretching before dropping off, as opposed to the 'mantle drip' concept. Possible causes to the differential ore enrichment across the region are also discussed. This study further identifies two deeper slab segments beneath the 660 km transition zone in the Aegean Arc region. These slab segments are identified as the subducted Paleo-Tethys and Neo-Tethys from which the Rhodope ophiolites and the Vardar ophiolites were off-scraped. The two deeper slab segments do not extend into the Black Sea regime, being the Neo-Tethys back arc basin. When regional ore deposits are mapped onto the slab models, deposit occurrences reduce significantly in the Central Anatolia region where the two deeper slabs terminate. This study suggests the Black Sea form in the expanse of the subducted Paleo- and Neo-Tethys lithosphere beneath Anatolia and in doing so, breaks the 'impermeable' lithospheric seal essential for orogenesis through 'trapping' of metal-enriched mantle fluid.
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Evolutionary-based protein engineering of binding proteins and enzymes
(2026) Georgelin, Rosemary
The work in this thesis applies evolution-guided protein engineering to understand and design protein function. Ancestral sequence reconstruction, biophysical and enzymatic characterisation, and structural analysis are used to reveal mechanisms of molecular evolution that shape specificity and catalysis and how these mechanisms can be used to uncover new functionality in engineered proteins and enzymes, highlighting the broad applicability of these methods across diverse systems. Chapter 1 provides the conceptual framework for protein design and an overview of the key evolutionary methods used throughout the thesis. Chapter 2 examines the evolution of ligand binding from a thermodynamic perspective, using thermodynamics as a language to describe changes in affinity, specificity, and binding energetics over evolutionary time. This chapter also serves as an extended introduction to the included research articles. The first research article presents a comprehensive characterisation of ancestrally reconstructed LacI/GalR family transcription factors and shows that changes in binding specificity along the evolutionary trajectory of Escherichia coli LacI are driven by enthalpy-entropy trade-offs in response to environmental pressures, including temperature. In the most distant ancestor, binding is entropically driven via entropic redistribution and retained flexibility, highlighting the role of protein dynamics in the evolution of ligand specificity. These concepts are further developed in the published review article included in this chapter. Chapter 3 demonstrates how evolution-guided design can be used to engineer enzymes with novel catalytic functions, including biocatalysts for degradation and recycling of plastics, specifically polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon 6 and nylon 6,6. The first research article reconstructs evolutionary sequence space from PET-degrading cutinases to identify functional variants and reveal convergence among PET lineages. The second research article applies a similar strategy to evolve nylon 6,6 oligomer-degrading enzymes from serine-protease nylonases, discovering a novel class of nylon 6,6 hydrolases. Structural analysis shows this specificity shift arises from epistatic active-site mutations that enable favourable electrostatic interactions and improved complementarity of binding site size and shape. Chapter 4 synthesises these findings into a general discussion of key ideas and considers future directions in protein engineering, including the growing role of computational protein design in linking protein genotype and phenotype.
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Cellular and immunological consequences arising from impaired L-plastin function
(2026) Hernandez Gallardo, Raquel
Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are genetic disorders affecting the immune system. Their disease burden is complex, with increased susceptibility to infections, autoimmunity, allergies, and malignancies. In this project, we studied a family presenting with an IEI resulting from a novel LCP1 variant (LCP1c.740-1G>A). Lymphopenia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia were reported in the affected individuals, spanning at least two generations. Whole-exome analysis revealed a mutation in the LCP1 gene affecting the splicing site upstream of exon eight. LCP1 encodes for L-plastin, a cytoskeleton protein predominantly expressed in leukocytes. Its actin-bundling activity is central to the immune response, particularly during integrin-mediated events, such as migration and the establishment of the immune synapse. The LCP1c.740-1G>A variant leads to two aberrant transcripts, both predicted to affect protein integrity: an in-frame deletion of 24 nucleotides; and a whole exon eight deletion resulting in a frameshift and the introduction of an early stop codon. We conducted further protein and cellular analysis using a mouse model expressing the orthologous variant. Expression of the small in-frame deletion transcript, and the reduction of protein synthesis were confirmed using mouse splenocytes. The mouse model exhibited a similar haematopoietic phenotype to patients. Circulating lymphocytes were proportionally decreased in Lcp1c.740-1G>A mice. T cells exhibited aberrant cytoskeleton organisation and impaired chemotaxis after CXCL12 stimulation. Similarly, the spreading capacity of platelets was reduced upon activation with collagen. By immunisation of the mouse model with sheep red blood cells, we confirmed impairments in the germinal centre reaction. We also generated a mouse model expressing the Lcp1c.694A>T variant, previously reported to cause human neutropenia, and observed a similar but more severe defect in response to immunisation. Significantly, we did not observe an immunisation defect in Lcp1-/- mice. In vitro T cell proliferation confirmed a decrease in cell proliferation for the three mouse models. However, the Lcp1c.740-1G>A and Lcp1c.694A>T variants selectively resulted in an accumulation of large cells with abnormally increased DNA content, as identified by flow cytometry analysis. We confirmed a gene-dose dependent accumulation of polyploid cells by microscopy, indicating a cytoskeleton defect in completing cytokinesis in the presence of abnormal forms of L-plastin, but not by the absence of it (Lcp1-/-). Finally, we performed transcriptome analysis of proliferating cells expressing Lcp1c.694A>T/c.694A>T and identified a signature of aberrant cell cycle progression and upregulation of inflammatory signals. In summary, LCP1 deficiency leads to a novel IEI arising from cytoskeleton defects, including a previously uncharacterized mechanism during cytokinesis.
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Project Evaluation and Selection: A Risk-Return Perspective
(2026) Merikhi, Elham
Traditional project appraisal focuses on the "iron triangle" of time, cost, and scope while systematically failing to deliver intended long-term benefits, a disconnect that wastes billions in organisational resources annually. This thesis advances project decision-making by developing the ROL framework: a lifecycle-integrated, mathematically grounded approach that systematically incorporates the risk preference of the project funder, opportunities alongside threats, and long-term benefit realisation risks into risk-return trade-off analysis. Guided by critical realist philosophy, the research employs a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative mathematical modelling with qualitative stakeholder insights across three sequential studies. Each study follows a structured multi-phase methodology encompassing model development, numerical illustration, sensitivity analysis, and where applicable, real-world case study validation with empirical data collection through structured surveys. The methodology adapts expected utility theory and modern portfolio theory to project contexts through scenario-based analysis operationalised in MATLAB and LINGO. The research produces transformational empirical findings. Study 1's project appraisal framework demonstrates improved appraisal accuracy by developing a utility-based project evaluation map which incorporates scenario-based estimation and semi-deviation risk measures. Study 2's portfolio selection model eliminates systematic selection errors through comprehensive interdependency modelling, showing that omitting interdependencies produces non-optimal portfolios even when individual project metrics appear acceptable. Study 3's risk response selection enhances the risk-return trade-off by prioritising mitigation and enhancement actions that maximise project attractiveness within budget constraints. The thesis delivers three breakthrough theoretical contributions: (1) lifecycle-integrated project evaluation maps that visualise utility-based attractiveness consistently across appraisal, monitoring, and performance judgement stages, (2) dual-conception risk modelling treating opportunities as positive uncertainties to be enhanced rather than mere threat mitigation, and (3) extension of financial asset and portfolio theories to capture project-specific characteristics through forward-looking scenarios and semi-deviation measures suitable for contexts with limited historical data. Immediate practical implications emerge through implementable decision-support tools using existing organisational data such as, risk registers, benefit projections, and cost estimates, thus enabling transparent, resource-optimised, stakeholder-aligned decisions across appraisal, selection, and risk response planning under uncertainty. The integrated framework spans the complete project lifecycle from initiation through benefit realisation, providing consistent decision logic that transforms project failure patterns by ensuring systematic alignment between operational delivery and strategic value creation.
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An Appetite for Aguaje: Harnessing Sustainability for Social, Economic, and Environmental Transformation in the Peruvian Amazon
(2026) Tung, Diana
The aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa) is one of the most significant palm species in the Amazon. Every part of the palm is utilised by Amazonian residents, and widespread commercialisation of the fruit in the Peruvian Amazon has rendered it an important part of economic life in this region. Unlike other areas in the Amazon where the aguaje grows, in the Peruvian Amazon, the aguaje reigns supreme as a foodstuff and as a key marker of Amazonian identity. The fruit is commercialised in a dizzying array of forms and consumed with voracity by local residents, as measured by the tonnage. The fruit is also at the centre of numerous mythologies, including that the fruit enhances women's curves and libido, tempers the effects of menopause, and can turn straight men gay if they consume too much of it. Based on 24 months of multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon and other cities throughout Peru, this thesis examines how in recent years the aguaje has emerged as a contender for the global superfood market by tracing its transformations along the commodity chain. In particular, this thesis traces how multiple efforts to commercialise the aguaje for external markets, in Lima and internationally, are couched in the language of sustainability and environmental conservation, and which rely upon a narrow perspective of the Amazon as natural, wild, and fixed in time. In turn, these projects promulgate wide-ranging social, economic, and environmental transformations that radically reshape people, place, and palm. These processes of translation have only become even more accelerated in the post-Covid-19 context, especially in a nation which experienced some of the highest Covid-19 mortality rates in the world. As this thesis demonstrates, 'sustainability' in an age of planetary climate crisis may not only accentuate existing social and economic inequalities but create new forms of marginality. Amazonian residents overwhelmingly prefer their aguaje 'duro duro', a local expression literally translated as 'hard hard'. Throughout this thesis, instead of presupposing agency of the fruit, this idiomatic expression is utilised to capture the difficult, stubborn, and salacious sociomateriality of the aguaje, and which characterise the turbulent attempts to commercialise the aguaje thus far. The thesis this examines how, in interactions with different actors, such as harvesters, street vendors, government officials, entrepreneurs, multinational corporations, as well as conservationists, aguaje commercialisation undergoes different pathways as customary uses and meanings are stripped away and the fruit reshaped into an object of capitalist desire and planetary salvation. As an emerging commodity for the multi-billion-dollar global superfood market, tracing the aguaje's transformation is thus also an exercise in understanding how markets are made.
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Mobilising amidst Negotiated Repression: Islamist Opposition in Jokowi's Indonesia
(2026) Nuraniyah, Navhat
Islamist groups have posed a persistent challenge to the Indonesian state since independence, though for the most part, they remained politically sidelined. After democratisation in 1998, Islamist organisations grew in strength and sought to leverage their mobilising power to pressure successive governments to accommodate aspects of their aspirations. This pressure reached its peak in 2016 with the unprecedented Islamist mobilisation against Jakarta's non-Muslim governor, triggering a dramatic shift in state-Islamist relations, from toleration and accommodation to systematic repression. In the name of defending pluralism and democracy, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) launched a crackdown on Islamist groups. The repression of Islamists has been one of the key dynamics driving Indonesia's democratic decline over the past few years. Islamists facilitated Jokowi's authoritarian learning by providing a testing ground for developing subtle coercive tools that preserved a democratic veneer, which I characterise as 'negotiated repression'. This thesis investigates the diverse strategies of Islamist opposition groups in response to state repression during Jokowi's presidency (2014-2024). Drawing on in-depth fieldwork with three major Islamist organisations, namely the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), and Wahdah Islamiyah, I have categorised their strategies as 'open resistance', 'strategic engagement', and 'camouflaged resistance'. The strategic diversity is puzzling because, despite state crackdowns of varying intensity, all groups faced a general pattern of negotiated repression. Thus, the structural form of repression alone is inadequate to explain the variation. The thesis constructs an original analytical framework to explain how organisations navigate repressive environments in ways that reflect both structural constraints and internal priorities. It argues that Islamists' strategic choices hinge upon their organisational identity (encompassing ideological mission, method of change and practices) and institutional assets (e.g. schools, charity, businesses and social capital), while the execution of the strategies is constrained by ongoing interactions with the state. In this sense, identity and interests are mutually constitutive, and their interplay shapes Islamist strategy making. Once enacted, these strategic choices may evolve through a feedback loop, as Islamists adjust their tactics in tandem with state's responses. The study contributes to broader debates on sophisticated repression in semi-democracies, and on how dissenting civil society groups adapt to contexts of overpowering state control. Specifically, it advances Social Movement Theory (SMT) by introducing organisational identity as the variable that clarifies the interconnections among SMT's three components, namely movement's ideology, material resources, and political opportunity structure.
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The Kamapuk Fauna: A late Holocene vertebrate faunal sequence from the Western Highlands District, Papua New Guinea with implications for palaeoecology and archaeology
(1981) Aplin, Ken
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Deciphering the Musical Language of Nicolas Obouhow
(2017) Atri, Azadeh
Various styles and techniques of composition were experimented with and developed by avant-garde composers during the first decades of the 20th century. Nicolas Obouhow (1892-1954) plays a significant role as a composer who experimented, very early, with a 12-tone system and electronic sounds. His innovative ideas were not only a response to the Russian avant-garde movement, but were also part of the wider international quest for new means and techniques of composition. For Obouhow, art was a means to facilitate his mystical search, and his views on music place him in a broader international cultural context associated with the occult and a belief in the transcendental power of sound. Drawing from a wide range of primary sources, in particular the Obouhow Archive at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, and contemporary newspapers and journals, I will firstly demonstrate how Obouhow's idiosyncratic ideas were formed and influenced by his spiritual beliefs and significant historical events such as the Russian Revolution and the First World War. Secondly, through examining his circle and important relationships, I will discuss how Obouhow's views were also in accord with the esoteric beliefs held by many others and how these views were part of a broader worldwide search for man's spiritual destiny. Finally, through detailed analysis of form, harmonic language, synthetic scale systems and orchestration, I will show how Obouhow contributed to the early decades of modernism and 12-tone writing.
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Nanostructured BaTiO3 Thin Films for Enhanced Photoresponse
(2026) Ji, Wenzhong
Light-driven devices are of great importance among emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, owing to their remote-control ability, ultrafast response and low energy consumption. Ferroelectric materials have attracted considerable interest in this field. On the one hand, the bulk photovoltaic effect (BPV) allows spontaneous separation of photoexcited electron-hole pairs, simplifying device architectures. On the other hand, switchable polarization endows ferroelectric devices with memory and data processing functions. Despite these advantages, several challenges hinder practical implementation of traditional perovskite ferroelectrics, including the low photovoltage in thin films, slow response, limited absorption in the visible spectrum and substrate-dependent film growth. This thesis addresses these issues by exploring nanostructure engineering strategies using BaTiO3 (BTO) as a representative perovskite ferroelectric. The main achievements and outcomes are highlighted below. A record high photovoltage was achieved in a thin BTO film. Highly preferred-oriented BTO films were successfully grown on silicon substrates. The film exhibited a two-layer structure with different crystallographic orientations along the growth direction. This unique geometry enabled a high-power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.062% under ultraviolet light and a record open-circuit voltage of 1.07 V among pure ferroelectric films below 300 nm thickness. Systematic investigations attributed this enhancement to the BPV. This crystalline rearrangement strategy offers new insights into ferroelectric self-powered electronics demanding high driving voltage. A high-efficient, broadband, ultra-fast photodetector was demonstrated based on a three-dimensional BTO/SrRuO3 (SRO) heterostructure. The large mismatch strain at interfaces induced the formation of island-like SRO nanostructures. The crystalline and amorphous phases in the BTO layer were responsible for charge separation and transportation, respectively. In addition, the SRO with periodic nanostructured morphology effectively absorbed visible light. Consequently, the Au/BTO/SRO/Ag device had a responsivity of up to 0.166 A/W and fast rise/fall times of 3.7/4.7 microseconds. While SRO is widely used as a conductive electrode, this work demonstrated, for the first time, a synergetic photovoltaic process between BTO and SRO. Remarkably, the device performance surpasses that of reported self-powered photodetectors and is comparable to commercial photodetectors, highlighting the broad application potential of this stable and scalable metal oxide platform. Ferroelectric devices responsive to visible light were achieved by incorporating narrow-bandgap semiconductors into the ferroelectric matrix. BTO/CoFe2O4 (CFO) composite films with controllable composition were successfully synthesized. The transmission electron microscopy revealed a homogeneous structure, which has not been reported in perovskite/spinel material systems. Ferroelectricity was retained in a low-CFO-ratio composite, enabling polarization-dependent photocurrent under visible light. Utilizing visible-light-induced photocurrent as a readout signal offering a promising route toward energy-efficient ferroelectric memory and computing devices. Finally, the thickness-dependent charge separation mechanism in free-standing ferroelectric films was elucidated. Polycrystalline free-standing BTO films with lateral dimensions of hundreds of micrometers were fabricated. Kelvin probe force microscopy characterizations revealed a thickness-dependent surface charge behavior: in thinner films, near-surface band bending dominated charge separation, whereas in thicker films, ferroelectric polarization led to opposite carrier accumulation on the two surfaces. This newly identified mechanism provides guidance for exploring free-standing ferroelectrics in photocatalysis and advanced optoelectronic applications.
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Osseous Artefacts from later Prehistoric Southern Vietnam: A Technofunctional Analysis
(2026) Hull, Jennifer
Relatively large assemblages of osseous implements have been recovered from sites across Mainland and Island Southeast Asia. However, only a few detailed studies have been undertaken. The majority of studies thus far undertaken focussed on osseous implements from Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene contexts. These analyses have demonstrated that the technology can be traced back to at least 40,000 BP, and the abundance and diversity increases after the Terminal Pleistocene. These studies have also made a significant contribution to our understanding of human technological capabilities, as well as increased geographic distributions of bone tool manufacture, human mobility, and the evolving nature of their use across Southeast Asia. Much less well-understood is the continuing and expanding use of osseous raw materials for implement manufacture in the later Holocene, despite the availability of alternative technology. This project aims to begin addressing the deficiency in our understanding of the manufacture and use osseous technologies during the critical period in prehistory between c.4000-2500 BP with the arrival of agricultural communities and the emergence of metallurgy in Mainland Southeast Asia. What role did osseous implements have in varied toolkits during this period, how did osseous implements evolve through time, and what significance did these raw materials have for the manufacture of implements? To address these questions, technofunctional analyses were performed on osseous artefacts from five settlement sites in the Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam: the Neolithic sites of An Son (AS 4,000-3,200 BP), Loc Giang (LGi 3,900-3,200 BP), and Rach Nui (RN 3,430-3,050 BP), and the Metal Age sites of Go O Chua (GOC 3,000-1,250 BP) and Lo Gach (LG 2,800-2,700 BP). The main focus of the analysis to identify any preferences in raw material selection, manufacturing methods, and if these changed over time. The project also aimed to understand what, if any, social implications the development and use of this technology had. The study applied taxonomic comparisons to identify the osseous raw materials where possible. Following this, using reference materials, the manufacturing and use-wear traces were identified. As there are few standard practices for the analysis of osseous implements, this study also utilised several techniques originally designed for lithics analysis in an attempt to answer the research questions. During the Neolithic the assemblages analysed are comparably small to those of the Metal Age, and the variety of morphotypes are more limited. They consist primarily of pointed implements, with a high proportion of jabbing-style fish hooks (AS/LGi) and turtle shell adzes (RN). The variability between the assemblages at AS/LGi, and RN, suggests that there was preferential production for local requirements. An unexpected outcome of this research is that rather than osseous artefacts diminishing in significance with the introduction of metal implements, and metallurgy, they appear to proliferate. The functional use of the implements diversifies, and a variety of new and complex forms emerge. Furthermore, a nuanced relationship between the osseous and metal implements can be seen where forms crossover between the two technologies, indicating preferences in form and function for the equivalent implements. This research project demonstrates the significance of analytical study of osseous implements in understanding human behaviour and technological developments in the later Holocene. It illustrates that implement manufacture remained a significant part of technological strategies throughout the Neolithic and Metal Age. In fact, rather than observing a diminishment in the significance of osseous implement manufacture and diversity, with the introduction of metal, there is in fact a broad diversification, technological innovation, proliferation in the manufacture and notable increase in use contexts.
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Fused bis(bipyridine) ligand systems: coordination and electrochemistry with copper, rhenium and manganese
(2026) Hall, Peter
Bimetallic coordination complexes are of interest due to the unique properties which may arise from the positioning of two metal centres in proximity. In this thesis, research targeting redox-active bimetallic coordination complexes using ligands with fused bis(bipyridine) coordination motifs is presented in a series of studies with copper, rhenium and manganese. These studies comprise (i) self-assembly of bi- and multi-metallic coordination complexes with copper, and (ii) the use of bi- and mono-metallic rhenium and manganese complexes as catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction. Chapter 1 provides the background to the major concepts that underlie the content of this thesis: these being metal-metal cooperativity, and reduction of CO2 in electrochemical systems, and provides discussion of the methods that will be used to study electrochemical reactivity in this project. The design and synthesis of appropriate binucleating ligands is prerequisite for the study of redox-active bimetallic coordination complexes. In Chapter 2, the ligand designs enabling this project are discussed, with reference to (i) the redox activity of 2,2'-bipyridine; (ii) ligand designs containing multiple 2,2'-bipyridyl or other diimine donor motifs; and (iii) ligands containing fused oligopyridine cores such as the subjects of study: bis(6-R-2-pyridyl)-1,8-naphthyridine (R = H, L1; R = Me, L2), and bis(6-R-2-pyridyl)-1,8-diazaanthracene (R = H, L3; R = Me, L4). Bi- and multi-metallic copper complexes are of interest for study into mixed valence and (photo)redox systems. In Chapter 3 the synthesis of copper complexes of ligands L2-L4 is described. The complexes self-assemble into homoleptic helicate ([Cu2(L2)2](PF6)2, [3-1][PF6]2) or 2x2 grid ([Cu4(L3/L4)4][PF6]4, [3-2][PF6]4/[3-3][PF6]4) structures. These are studied using crystallographic, spectroscopic, and electrochemical methods, with attention given to metal- and ligand-centred redox activity. Rhenium bipyridine complexes of the form [Re(bpy)(CO)3X] (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, X = Cl, 4-A) are known catalysts for the electroreduction of CO2. In Chapter 4, an experimental description of rhenium complexes using L3 is given. Complexes [Re(L3)(CO)3Cl], (4-1), and the dirhenium complex [Re2(L3)(CO)6(Cl)2], (4-2), are studied via spectroscopic, crystallographic and electrochemical techniques. Evidence for catalytic rate enhancement was observed for 4-2 and data from our systems is compared to known monometallic and bimetallic rhenium systems to attempt to understand this cooperative behaviour. Extending from the previous chapter, Chapter 5 then discusses the effects of catalyst modifications on the structure and function of rhenium complexes within diazaanthracene ligand systems via the synthesis of rhenium complexes of L4. The complexes [Re(L4)(CO)3Cl] (5-1) and [Re2(L4)(CO)6(Cl)2] (5-2) are introduced and investigated, including comparisons to complexes 4-1 and 4-2 discussed in Chapter 4, and a description of isomerism at rhenium for 5-2. As was seen for 4-2, 5-2 was found to have high activity towards CO2 reduction compared to monometallic analogues. For the final study presented in this work, Chapter 6 considers the use of manganese as an earth-abundant alternative to rhenium for CO2 reduction catalysis. Here, complexes [Mn(L1)(CO)3Br] (6-1), [Mn(L2)(CO)3Br] (6-2), [Mn(L3)(CO)3Br] (6-3), [Mn2(L4)(CO)3Br] (6-4), [Mn(L3)(CO)6(Br)2] (6-5), [Mn(L4)(CO)6(Br)2] (6-6), [Mn(L3)(CO)6(NCMe)2][BF4]2 (6-7) and [Mn(L3)(CO)6(NCMe)2][BF4]2 (6-7)[Mn(L3)(CO)6(NCMe)2][BF4]2 (6-8) are described by various methods. It was found that the high activity of bimetallic rhenium systems described earlier did not translate directly to the manganese systems, and factors relating to this such as the stability of complexes under electrochemical conditions are discussed. Chapter 7 then concludes the thesis by providing a summary of the work as a whole, and discusses the prospectus for future work in this area.
Access status: Embargo ,
Picture Perfect Japan: Constructing Destination Image through Tourist-Generated Content
(2025) Tremayne, Lewis
This thesis investigates how tourist-generated content (TGC) – created by foreigners for foreigners – shapes destination image and visit intention through visual storytelling on social media. Focusing on the Chūbu and Tōhoku regions of Japan, the study analyses 180 content samples across three content types: micro-content (e.g. Instagram Reels), meso-content (YouTube videos under 30 minutes), and macro-content (videos over 30 minutes, including Twitch livestreams). Employing existing frameworks in tourism and social media research – such as destination image formation (Gartner 1994), tourist gaze (Urry 1990), authenticity (MacCannell 1973; Cohen 1988), and parasocial interaction (Horton & Wohl 1956) – seven criteria are assessed using visual content analysis: cognitive, affective, and conative image dimensions, trust, familiarity, authenticity focus, and parasocial interaction. Special Interest Tourism (SIT) forms are also measured to determine predictable narrative and structural patterns across these content types. Findings reveal that platform features and content structure – rather than geography alone – determine how destination image is constructed. Micro-content exhibits emotionally congruent and aesthetic, performative authenticity, often serving as an initial prompt for destination interest. Meso-content balances cognitive and affective dimensions, combining visual appeal with detailed narration and increased viewer-engagement. Macro-content exhibits the highest potential for authenticity and trust-building, often providing immersive and vicarious experiences with a resonant narrative. The study culminates in a typology of TGC-based destination branding, mapping how micro-meso-macro-content interacts with specific tourist gazes and image dimensions. This typology contributes to both tourism research and online destination branding, offering insights into how social media platforms mediate the emotional, cognitive, and behavioural components of visit intention – particularly in overlooked or post-disaster regions. The findings hold practical value for destination marketing organisations (DMOs), creators, and researchers interested in the nuanced construction of visual tourism media.

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