Eye movements and the processing of function words in Brazilian Portuguese

Research on eye movements during reading has focused on content words (CW), with comparatively less attention paid to function words (FW). This thesis investigated how CW and FW are processed during the reading of Brazilian Portuguese (BP), a language where both classes can carry syntactic information related to gender and number. We combined secondary analyses of eye movement data from the RASTROS corpus of natural reading in BP with three controlled eye-tracking experiments and one error-detection task. The corpus analyses in Study 1 replicated well-established word length, frequency, and predictability effects on fixation times and skipping rates. Differences between classes were limited to very early processing, where short FW were skipped more often than short CW. We interpret this as reflecting the redundancy of gender and number marking in BP, where syntactic information is readily and transparently repeated on the word following the FW. The differences in skipping rates were limited to short words because parafoveal word class identification is more likely for short words. The first experiment in Study 2 used the gaze-contingent boundary paradigm to replace parafoveal previews of target CW with syntactically illegal articles. Results showed a pattern similar to English, where syntactically illegal article previews were skipped more often than the correct target words, consistent with the ease of processing of highly frequent articles. The second experiment in Study 2, an error detection task, showed that participants detected the repetition of articles more than 90% of the time, highlighting how readers of BP are sensitive to ungrammatical repetitions of articles, in contrast with recent findings in English, where the error was noticed less than half the time. In Study 3, again using the gaze-contingent boundary paradigm, we examined parafoveal processing of syntactic gender information in article-noun phrases. Gender-incongruent parafoveal previews of the article (Experiment 1) produced no preview benefits or display change effects on the article-noun region, indicating that readers ignored the article. In contrast, manipulating gender information on the previews of the noun (Experiment 2) showed that gender information was acquired parafoveally from the noun, word n+2, when following a short article. This suggests that BP readers prioritise gender information from the upcoming noun, ignoring articles during parafoveal processing. In contrast, previous research in German showed readers seem to use gender information from both articles and nouns. Overall, the thesis demonstrates that proficient BP readers strategically allocate parafoveal attention away from short FW toward CW, suggesting that readers of different languages might employ different strategies to engage with syntactic parafoveal processing

Shaping Cities: How micro-organisations contribute to the ongoing development of creative districts across space

The overarching aim of this thesis is to understand how micro-organisations (less than 10 staff, Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 2023), contribute to the ongoing development of bottom-up creative districts across space, using the lens of trans local scenes. Creative districts are spatial agglomerations of similar organisations which offer production and consumption opportunities related to the creative industries (i.e. record stores, music venues, art galleries, maker studios) (Santagata 2002; Mizzau and Montanari 2018). Current literature on the development of these districts focuses on the factors which lead to the initial development of these areas. There is a gap, however, for understanding how over time, creative districts across much of the western world have converged into the uniform model that we associate with them today; populated by micro-organisations with industrial ‘DIY’ aesthetics and practices which focus on supporting independent, emerging and localactivity. This research aim has been investigated with a qualitative methodology of 44 in-depth, semi- structured interviews with individuals running micro-organisations. These interviews were supplemented with participant observation undertaken in 27 micro-organisations, and qualitative content analysis of a select sample of the Instagram posts from 17 micro-organisations. Research was undertaken in four case study creative districts: the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool; the Northern Quarter in Manchester; Digbeth in Birmingham; and Shoreditch in London. The three empirical chapters of this thesis address three research questions. The first empirical chapter answers the question “what rolesdo micro-organisations enact in creative district scenes?”. This chapter develops and unpacks a typology of the cultural, financial and social support roles through which micro-organisations integrate themselves into their respective scenes. The second empirical chapter addresses the research question: “how do micro-organisations interact with each other across space?”. This chapter providesempirical examples of the physical and virtual mechanisms used by micro-organisations to enable trans-local flows; as well as the implications these have for the continued development of creative districts. The third empirical chapter examines the question “how can micro-organisations in creative districts be supported through the challenges they currently face?”. Informed by findings on theimpacts of the pandemic, gaps in government support and the use of informal support mechanisms, this chapter outlines three policy recommendations surrounding tax reform, local government relationships and improving grant guidance. These empirical findings contribute to the literature on scenes, trans-local scenes, economic geography, creative district development, micro-businesses andthe creative industries

The role of hydration in uncovering the OER activity of amorphous iridium oxide electrocatalysts

Understanding the structural properties of iridium oxide electrocatalysts under operational conditions is critical for elucidating the structure–property relationships that enhance the catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction. In this study, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy under realistic conditions was employed to investigate the potentiodynamic and time-resolved structural evolution of a commercial iridium oxide, alongside its fully hydrated and crystalline counterparts. Our findings reveal two distinct electrochemical regimes, a low potential plateau associated with a nonconductive Ir3+ state and a linear region where small potential variations induce reversible oxidation state and structural transformations. The structural changes were found to occur reversibly on the commercial material even after prolonged exposure to OER potentials. Notably, the hydrated IrOx exhibits extremely high OER activity, surpassing the commercial material by nearly an order of magnitude, yet it suffers from significant instability. In contrast, the crystalline IrO2 demonstrates poor activity as its catalytic performance appears to be confined to the surface. These findings highlight the critical role of hydration in modulating both activity and stability, offering valuable insights for the rational design of next generation iridium based OER catalysts

Spoilage traits and control of Brettanomyces bruxellensis: advances and implications for winemaking

Background: Brettanomyces bruxellensis (B. bruxellensis) is a persistent spoilage organism of beverage fermentations, capable of producing volatile phenols that compromise product aroma and quality, particularly in wine. The yeast is highly adapted to the winery environment, withstanding acidity, ethanol, and nutrient limitations. Its various traits exacerbate its detection and elimination. Current chemical controls have limitations, thereby increasing the call for biological alternatives. Scope and approach: We review available literature to define the scope of the B. bruxellensis problem, its impact on beverages and the traits aiding its survival and recalcitrance. The basis of these, namely the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, biofilm formation, nutritional versatility and high genetic/phenotypic diversity is delineated. We provide a comprehensive summary of reported inhibitors of B. bruxellensis, their mode of action, advantages and disadvantages, performance in laboratory and/or industrial contexts, and commercial availability. Included are strategies based on sulfur dioxide (SO2), chitosan, or dimethyl dicarbonate, and those based on killer toxins, antimicrobial peptides and iron chelators. Key findings and conclusions: Currently, the most effective and common control for B. bruxellensis is the application of SO2. But increasingly tolerant strains are appearing and consumer preferences or allergies to SO2 highlight the critical need for better control agents. Several biological solutions, particularly those based on non-Saccharomyces yeasts, show promise but further research is needed. Importantly, future progress in controlling B. bruxellensis will depend on multi-strain efficacy testing, advanced detection methods to identify VBNC and biofilm associated cells, and the integration of complementary agents tailored to the wine or relevant substrate

Navigating the noise: exploring black hole systems using time-series analysis

Understanding variability in accreting systems offers one of the most powerful tools for probing the innermost regions of compact objects — regions otherwise inaccessible to direct imaging. Variable signals encode information about everything from the geometry to the dynamics of the innermost flows. Time-domain astrophysics comes with immense potential, but it also brings many challenges. In this thesis, I aim to show the possibilities of time domain studies in equal measure to their caveats and pitfalls. I will demonstrate traditional techniques in the Fourier domain to brand new machine learning routines. Then I will show how no technique in this field is obsolete; they all build upon each other. This work focuses on publicly available survey data, illustrating the immense potential of what we already have and preparing us for what is to come. In a world where data is coming so fast, we might need to ask, can we keep up

Assisting blind people with AI and audio using smart glasses: System design with YOLOv8 variants comparisons

This paper introduces a novel system design leveraging Vuzix Blade 2 smart glasses to enhance the mobility and independence of visually impaired individuals. The study critically examines existing assistive navigation and object detection technologies, identifying their limitations and gaps. The designed system integrates real-time object detection, distance estimation, and OCR, providing auditory feedback through a robust, efficient pipeline. The designed application enhances the independence and safety of visually impaired individuals, particularly in navigating university campuses. A dataset comprising 15,951 annotated images from the university campus was used for training and evaluation. A comparative analysis of three YOLOv8 models (YOLOv8-N, YOLOv8-S, and YOLOv8-M) was conducted, balancing accuracy and computational efficiency to optimise system performance. The pipeline offers a scalable framework for inclusive AR and AI-based assistive systems. Results show high object detection accuracy (precision: 0.90, recall: 0.83). Distance estimation performance was validated using a geometric size–based calculation that relates pixel width to calibrated focal length and known real-world object dimensions, achieving an average absolute error of 0.33 m. Results demonstrate the system’s capability to detect obstacles within 1 meter, provide precise distance estimation, and convert text into speech, validating its potential for real-world applications. This study emphasises the significant role of AI-driven solutions in advancing assistive technologies, paving the way for more accessible and inclusive navigation systems. Compared with recent assistive systems such as Smart Cane, OrCam MyEye, and IrisVision), the proposed system demonstrates superior integration of detection, text recognition, and real-time feedback within a lightweight wearable device

Surviving intimate partner violence: Chinese abused women’s coping experiences

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a form of gendered violence characterized by control and causing more harm to women than men. Feminists, such as Mies (2004; 2014) and Chodorow (1979), argue that IPV arises and persists within patriarchal societies. During capitalization, the gendered division of labour exploited women in both public and private spheres as reproduction patterns changed. IPV became a tool men used to maintain control over resources and production. Although IPV has been studied by Western feminists in recent decades, research generally focuses on white middle-class women in developed countries, rather than women in other social and cultural contexts.Adopting a feminist perspective, this study aims to explore the experiences of a triply marginalized group of female IPV-abused women in China, with a special focus on their coping strategies and processes, including self-identity construction, decision-making, help-seeking practices, and responses. This study is based on 62 interviews conducted between June 2022 and February 2023 with IPV-abused women, lawyers, social officials, and police officers. The study reveals the gender power imbalance in IPV in China and locates the causative factors of IPV in the Chinese social environment: intergenerational transmission of patriarchal culture of violence, exploitation of women's maternal labour after capitalization, and intergenerational struggles for individualization. Influenced by these features, women victimized by IPV undergo a complex and ongoing process of identity construction that transcends the “victim/survivor” dichotomy. Identity construction drives women to adopt emotion-centred, problem-centred, and maternal-protection-centred decision-making strategies when seeking help through formal and informal channels. Formal channels through which women seek help are usually patriarchal and paternalistic, while informal channels usually follow familialist values. Despite progress in survivor empowerment interventions, regional disparities are evident

An exploration of mental health in LGBTQ+ veterans

Research indicates that LGBTQ+ veterans suffer from mental health difficulties at higher rates compared to non-LGBTQ+ veterans. Minority Stress Theory explains this disparity by postulating that, as a marginalised group, LGBTQ+ individuals are exposed to experiences of discrimination, leading to a higher prevalence of mental health difficulties. However, there has thus far been little research that has sought to understand mental health in LGBTQ+ veterans. The current thesis aims to explore mental health in LGBTQ+ veterans, comprising of an introductory chapter, an empirical paper and a systematic review.The empirical paper used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore mental wellbeing and help seeking in UK LGBTQ+ veterans. Six veterans were recruited and took part in semi-structured interviews. The main themes that arose from the analysis were: (1) The journey to accepting my LGBTQ+ identity, (2) Systemic failures, discrimination, and marginalisation, (3) Camaraderie: forming bonds and finding kinship, and (4) The importance of person-centred care. The results of this paper highlighted the unique struggles that UK LGBTQ+ veterans have faced, whilst also recognising important protective factors. Clinical implications include the use of person-centred care, peer support, and staff training. The systematic review investigated the association between mental health outcomes and discrimination in LGBTQ+ veterans. Thirteen studies were included in the review. A weighted mean (proportionate to the sample size) found that 47.2% of study participants reported experiencing discrimination, and 62% of the studies found a significant relationship between discrimination and mental health outcomes. Post-traumatic stress disorder was found to have the strongest evidence base in the association with discrimination. However, all studies were correlational and therefore causation cannot be concluded. Clinical implications highlighted the importance of staff training and trauma-informed approaches for LGBTQ+ veterans