Meditative Silence and Reciprocity: The Dialogic Implications for Spiritual Sites of Composing

Recent studies of silence must focus on the dialogical nature of Eastern meditation, examining the values of meditative awareness and social theories of reciprocity

Microfluidic photoelectrochemical cells for solar fuel production

Solar fuel formation via photoelectrosynthetic routes using water and CO2 as feedstocks is a promising approach that can mitigate both increasing CO2 emissions and energy shortage. In the pursuit to realize such devices, this Thesis has contributed 4 publications to the field of solar-driven CO2 reduction field that shed light on the theoretical efficiency limits, the importance of reactor design and the improved performance of photocathodes consisting of two photo-absorbing materials. Initially, the current state of photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells for CO2 reduction is summarized, the research gaps of this field are underlined, and future directions such as reactor design and photoelectrodes with multiple photo-absorbing materials are discussed. In Chapter 2, the maximum theoretical Solar-to-Fuel (STF) efficiency of single-step multi-electron PEC CO2 reduction reached 17.9 % at 2.00 eV for HCOOH, 21.2 % at 1.80 eV for CH3OH and 21.9 % at 1.76 eV for C2H5OH. Furthermore, utilization of dual-junction photo-absorbers led to a significant increase of maximum theoretical STF efficiency of PEC CO2 reduction into several fuels highlighting the beneficial role of this approach. In addition, a case study of PEC CO2 conversion into CH3OH via intermediate product formation such as CO and HCOOrevealed that the reaction route plays a significant role in maximum theoretical STF efficiency. Reactor design can also affect STF efficiency of PEC devices for CO2 reduction. In Chapters 3 and 4, fabrication and utilization of a novel continuous flow micro-reactor has resulted in an enhanced performance of photocatalytic and PEC CO2 reduction into fuels in comparison to conventional batch reactors. In addition, CuO deposition on the top of TiO2 and a-Fe2O3 improved the efficiency of bare CuO photoelectrodes. In this study, the highest STF efficiency of 0.48% is observed for a microfluidic reactor with optimal close spacing of 160 μm using a-Fe2O3-CuO photocathodes. In this research work, the maximum STF efficiency achieved under optimal conditions, is significantly lower than the maximum theoretical STF efficiency calculated in Chapter 2 but it is among the highest ever observed in PEC CO2 experimental studies. In this thesis, it is emphasized that optimization of reactor design and experimental conditions can lead to higher STF efficiency levels while the utilization of n-type metal oxides in combination with CuO can favour the conversion of CO2 into high-energy density products.Heriot Watt University Start-Up fun

RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS OF A SQUAT - AND COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP

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REPRESENTATIONAL AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOSTALGIC MEMORIES: AN INTERGENERATIONAL COMPARATIVE STUDY INVOLVING NATIVE AND IMMIGRANT GREEKS

Nostalgia is defined as a reconstruction of important representational memories in the present. The present study aimed to investigate the process of objectification of nostalgic memories, and, also, the effects of gender, age/ generation, country of residence, and rate of occurrence of nostalgic memories. It draws on data from a sample of 226 female and male Greek natives and immigrants residing in Germany. The participants belonged to three different generations (young adults/children, adults/parents, elders/grandparents). They completed an open-ended questionnaire on nostalgic experiences, the associated reasons and elicited emotions. They also responded to the Southampton Nostalgia Scale measuring proneness to nostalgia. The results showed that nostalgic memories involved interactions with significant others, first-time experiences, places, periods of one’s life, and important events that contributed to the person’s identity formation (reasons). The elicited emotions were both positive and negative. Correspondence analysis showed that nostalgic memories were associated with participants’ immigration status (native/ immigrant) and generation. Immigrants and elderly participants were more sensitive to the nostalgic process. The implications of the study are discussed in terms of social representations of nostalgic memories and their interaction with identity dimensions

Participatory Action Research As Professional Development In Multicultural Education: What Are The Effects On A Staff In A New York City Public School?

This dissertation studies the impact of Participatory Action Research (PAR) as the format for professional development of teachers in the domain of multicultural education. The study was conducted in a public elementary school, hereby known as Queens Multicultural, within the New York City Department of Education. Using PAR as a guiding framework, eleven teachers at Queens Multicultural created the Multicultural Education Participatory Action Research (MEPAR) group to develop an approach to address multicultural education at the school level. PAR was found to be an effective form of professional development that allowed staff members to engage in deep and rich discussions about multicultural education, curriculum, and pedagogy. Through this experience, MEPAR teachers gained insight into what multicultural education means and how making small changes in their teaching practices could address four out of the five Dimensions of Multicultural Education as defined by James Banks (2006). This research project also found that while PAR was a valuable tool for teacher professional development, PAR was unable to bring about school-wide change. The implications of these findings points to the importance of strong leadership and prioritized goal-setting in order to bring about changes in school structures and culture