The management of weed species Alopecurus myosuroides (black-grass) in arable agriculture is largely achieved through use of herbicides. However, resistant populations are increasingly commonplace and new modes of action are proving elusive. Growers use integrated weed management (IWM) strategies to manage the weed seedbank, such as rotational ploughing to bury seed and delayed drilling to reduce weed numbers within a crop. Competitive cultivars may contribute to IWM, but testing cultivars is a long, expensive process. The aims of this studentship were to identify the traits that confer enhanced crop competitive ability and determine if these can be used to predict competitive ability of new cultivars. This was investigated on outdoor sand-beds and in field trials. Commercial wheat cultivars were grown alongside A. myosuroides. Various wheat traits were measured throughout growth. The seed return of A. myosuroides was quantified at maturity, and yield was harvested in the field. Pearson’s correlations and multivariate analysis were used to identify traits related to competition, and Linear Mixed Models (LMM) were used to identify predictive traits. Two models of crop-weed interactions were parameterised for the cultivars. Potential interactions between cultivar choice and other IWM strategies (delayed sowing and increased sowing rate) was assessed experimentally and through simulation models. Cultivar differences in suppressive ability were most evident between the extreme ends. Various traits were related to a cultivar’s ability to suppress A. myosuroides seed return, such as early height and tillering parameters, though no traits were consistent across all experiments. Few traits could be related to tolerance to yield loss. Suppressive ability can be ascertained early in the growing season, but the relationship with individual traits can change direction, possibly depending on the availability of belowground resources. Generally, earlier maturity and a conserved tillering strategy appears to be more suppressive. Cultivar choice is largely compatible with delayed sowing and increased sowing date. The effect of environmental variability on relationships between traits and competitive ability requires further investigation before they can be employed as predictors, particularly in the context of belowground competition.

Paclitaxel (Taxol) was first isolated from the bark of the pacific yew tree as an important anticancer compound. Its efficacy and unique mode of action has seen demand increase, but full chemical synthesis is not economically viable and this has led to a search for alternative production sources. Current supply is met by semi- synthesis from its natural precursor, 10-deacetylbaccatin III (found in yew tree needles) or from yew cell suspension cultures. However, engineering of the key biosynthetic genes into heterologous hosts could provide an alternative for paclitaxel production. This study aimed to utilise the geranylgeranyl diphosphate precursor pool present in fruit of the yellow flesh (r) tomato mutant for the production of novel taxanes. A synthetic polycistronic construct was designed and created to contain the first four Taxol biosynthetic pathway genes, which were codon-optimised for recombinant protein expression in tomato plants. The first genes in the Taxol biosynthesis pathway, namely taxadiene synthase (TXS), taxadien-5α-hydroxylase (T5OH), taxadien-5α-acetyltransferase (T5AT), and taxoid 10β-hydroxylase (T10BOH) were successfully introduced into tomato plants using an optimised Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol. Plants expressing the TXS and T5OH transgenes were analysed; however, GS-MS analysis failed to detect the expected compounds taxadiene and taxadiene-5α-ol. Plants harbouring TXS, T5OH, and T5AT were successfully generated, and plants containing T10BOH were also generated; however, the production of downstream taxanes or novel taxanes was not investigated owing to time constraints. The localisation of T5OH, T5AT, and T10BOH was investigated by tagging putative leader sequences to green fluorescent protein (GFP). Confocal microscopy was used to detect GFP in Arabidopsis thaliana root cells. All three Taxol biosynthetic proteins were found to be localised to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane.

This project describes NASA's culture during two important time periods (1958-1972) and (1996-2004) and explains its relative fit with its system components-task, people, resources, and structure. The open-system model is used to explain how system components affect culture and how culture affects them. During the first period (1958- 1972), NASA was established and it landed the first man on the moon, a remarkable accomplishment given the advances in science and technology required to complete this mission. During the second period (1996-2004), the Columbia accident occurred, causing NASA's image to be tarnished and its credibility with key stakeholders to be compromised. To conduct this research, books, online resources, newspaper article, technical and investigative reports and theses provided the main sources of information. Project results indicate that culture alone is not the only contributory factor to NASA's performance. The space agency's technical culture closely aligned with system components enabled the organization to complete its moon-landing mission. However, NASA culture changed due to alterations in the system components. A misalignment between culture and its system components occurred during the second period, causing the Columbia accident. Therefore, the alignment between culture and other components is essential for NASA to perform its missions effectively. NASA leadership should monitor and assess this alignment to help prevent future mishaps. / US Navy (USN) author.

Modern bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) initially derived from wild progenitors which underwent hybridisation and domestication events. It is hypothesised that modern plant breeding has reduced the genetic variation among modern cultivars (Sparkes, 2010). Ancient wheat species form a conduit between wild ancient wheat and cultivated Triticum species, and may harbour the genetic variation required to supplement the modern bread wheat gene pool. The current work investigated a range of morphological and physiological aspects of several ancient species including several representatives of spelt, emmer and einkorn. These were compared to modern bread wheat in two field and three glasshouse experiments with the aim to investigate their resource use efficiency, where radiation use and water use formed the crux. The main components of the current work relate to 1) canopy interception characteristics 2) leaf photosynthetic capabilities and 3) water use. Spelt genotypes demonstrated increased WUE and green area longevity compared with modern bread wheat. Emmer displayed increased WUE, assessed on three scales using instantaneous transpiration efficiency (ITE), biomass to water uptake ratios, and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C). In addition, the mechanisms whereby emmer, einkorn and spelt maintained ITE appeared to differ. Emmer was observed to increase photosynthetic rates, whereas spelt maintained low transpiration as a result of low stomatal conductance. Einkorn however, maintained ITE through an intermediate of both of these mechanisms. This was further supported by species differences for maximum photosynthetic rates (Asat) which, for emmer and einkorn, were comparable with modern bread wheat. Investigation of WUE through Δ13C and biomass production to water uptake ratios ranked species similarly, showing emmer and spelt to have superior WUE during grain filling. Additionally, spelt was observed to produce biomass comparable to modern bread wheat, thought to be due to enhanced RUE (observed in one field trial) or increased green area longevity rather than increased assimilation capability. In field experiments, biomass production and light interception was relatively high for einkorn species, however this was believed to derive from excessive tiller production due to poor emergence. Overall, ancient species did partition a larger proportion of assimilates toward tillers. Modern bread wheat produced fewer tillers, but directed more biomass towards the ear, and therefore had greater harvest indices (HI) compared to all ancient species. Despite this broad analysis, further investigation of the mechanisms responsible for these traits is required. This research therefore indicates that there is sufficient variation for traits, which could be used to improve radiation and water use efficiency, and therefore warrants further exploration. With further investigation, resource capture and utilisation efficiency, and the morphological traits that confer these advantages in these genotypes, genetic markers could be identified with the aim to introduce valuable traits for the production of novel modern bread wheat varieties. The differences observed between these ancient wheat species and modern bread wheat provide an opportunity through which modern wheat gene pools may be improved to stabilise yields, particularly in sub-optimal environmental conditions, thus increasing biomass production per unit resource, thereby enhancing the productivity and the efficiency of crop systems.

My thesis is both an oppositional history and a (re)definition of British Underground Cinema culture (1959 - 2(02). The historical significance of Underground Cinema has long been ideologically entangled in a mesh of academic typologies and ultra leftist rhetoric, abducting it from those directly involved. The intention of my work is to return definition to the 'object' of study, to write from within. This process involves viewing the history of modem British culture not as a vague monolithic and hierarchic spectrum but rather as a distinct historical conflict between the repressive legitimate Art culture of the bourgeoisie and the radical illegitimate popular culture of the working class. In this context, Underground Cinema can be {re)defined as a radical hybrid culture which fused elements of popular culture, Counterculture and Anti-Art. However, the first wave of Underground Cinema was effectively suppressed by the irrational ideology of its key activists and the hegemonic power of the Art tradition. They disowned the radical popular and initiated an Avant-Garde/Independent cinema project which developed an official State administrated bourgeois alternative to popular cinema. My conclusion is that Underground Cinema still has the potential to become a radical and commercial popular culture but that this is now frustrated by an institutionalised State Art culture which has colonised the State funding agencies, higher education and the academic study of cinema. If the Underground is to flourish it must refuse and subvert this Art culture and renew its alliance with radical, experimental and commercial pop culture. My methodology is an holistic interactive praxis which combines research, writing, film/video making, digital design, performance and political activism. My final submission will be an open and heterodox mesh of polemic, history and entertainment. Its key components will be a written thesis which will locate this praxis within its intellectual context and a web site which will integrate my research and practice 1997-2003.

Aim: The aim of this research is to investigate the role of culture in the process of knowledge transfer through expatriates, while also aiming to identify factors that are influential in this process other than culture. Method: The aim has been reached by adopting a qualitative case study, with a focus on a single case. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted with expatriates to gain data. Findings: The study proves the importance of culture in a cross-border expatriates knowledge transfer. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions have been found to be determinants in this process. Language has also been outlined as an important component in this regards.  In addition, type of knowledge, recipient’s ability to absorb, and the source’s capabilities to transform are also influential factors stated by expatriates. Limitations: The study is limited to a single company. Further, the data have been collected only from expatriates, not the local employees’ point of view. Suggestions for future research: Further research can be done in the same field, but with focus on different sectors, and different countries. The academic world can also benefit from studies that focus on countries that are different from each other, in order to understand how the knowledge transfer is effected by those differences.

Prof. Gert Roodt

The first theme covers sweetpotato in the marketing chain from farm to consumer. In East Africa, research explored ways of improving the handling and transport of sweetpotato, shelf life and storage of fresh roots on the farms to increase incomes and food security. Transport and handling were investigated using a novel ‘electronic sweet potato’ where it was found that it was the large number of minor vibrational type impacts that cause the most root damage. Reducing the sack weight and using fibreboard boxes reduced damage. A shelf-life investigation into the types of injury occurring through poor handling suggested that skinning injury, followed by broken roots caused the greatest shelf-life losses. The second theme explores sensory evaluation and consumer preference of sweetpotato and other food commodities. Research explored the variability of sensory parameters and acceptability of sweet potato cultivars with location and season in Tanzania and developed a model for predicting the acceptability of new cultivars derived from breeding programmes. The approach was extended to the acceptance of biofortified sweetpotato containing ß-carotene differences in acceptance between locations and ethnic groups for rice and cassava products, variations in roasting conditions and shelf-life of peanut butter, and relationships between acceptability, market price and affordability of rice. Over 1,800 consumers were interviewed. This research suggests consumers in rural and urban Africa tend to be open to new products and this is contrary to views often held. Consumer acceptance was found to be ‘multi-modal’ with distinct variations within populations. Consumers in these different segments also had distinct socio-economic populations. Acceptability differed for rice and cassava products with respect to location, gender and age but not within ethnic group.

L’objectif principal de ce travail est l’élaboration d’un modèle plus complet du plan de la ville de Policoro à l’époque archaïque que ce soit d’un point de vue de l’espace et de la chronologie que d’un point de vue culturel, politique et économique. Pour parvenir à cet objectif a été réalisée une étude de matériaux céramiques en grande partie non-publie, provenant d’une série de fouille archéologique effectue sur la collina del Castello et dans la vallata mediana. Le travail s’articule autour de quatre parties. La première (chapitre I) discute les fonds écrits littéraires et épigraphiques sur la cité archaïque de Siris. La deuxième partie (chapitre II) est dédiée à la documentation archéologique du site et s’articule en quatre paragraphes. Le premier (II.1), est une présentation des toutes les recherches précédentes, avec une attention particulière aux études portant sur la période archaïque de la cité. Le deuxième paragraphe (II.2) analyse les résultats des fouilles sur la colonie plus antique du site. Le troisième (II.3) contient une présentation des différentes formes de céramique trouvées sur le site puis une liste des différentes argiles identifiées (II.4). La troisième partie (chapitre III) est un catalogue des matériaux trouvés, présentés par secteur de fouille. Pour finir (chapitre IV) sont présentés les conclusions et la bibliographie générale. Chaque partie est complétée par une bibliographie spécifique présentée par ordre chronologique. / The most important purpose of this work (research) intends to draw up a more articulated model of the Policoro archaic settlement, analyzed from a spatial and chronological, but also cultural, political and social point of view. To achieve the goal, ceramic materials of high archaic age and archaic age, found after digging on the Hill of the Castel and in the mid - valley, have been studied, most of which unedited. The work (research) has been divided into the following sections: The first (chapter 1) contains an examination of literary and epigraphic sources concerned to Siri’s archaic settlement and an appendice about the above mentioned reports. The second part (chapter 2) focused on the documentation of materials, is made of five paragraphs including the bibliography. The first paragraph (II.1) retraces the history of the research focusing on the reports of the town archaic period. The second (II.2) consists of a precise analysis of the settlement contexts that gave the evidences of the most ancient colony, followed by the related bibliography (II.3). The fourth paragraph (II.4) shows and defines the evidenced ceramic moulds, followed by a list of different doughs identified by the autopsic analysis of clays (II.5). The third section contains the catalogue of the exhibits, shown on their contexts (Chapter III). Finally, the fourth section, dedicated to the conclusions (chapter 4). Below, a resume in French language, that contains the salient points of the research and bibliographic shorthands.

Ce travail de recherche porte sur la culture de marque. Il vise à comprendre quel est le rôle joué par les communautés de marque dans les processus de co-construction et de diffusion de la culture de marque. Pour ce faire, nous accordons une place centrale à l’acculturation, concept emprunté à l’anthropologie et à la psychosociologie. Notre approche interprétativiste et notre raisonnement abductif nous conduisent à la sélection de quatre mondes de marque pour mener une étude ethnographique pendant deux ans : Harley-Davidson, Quiksilver, Weight Watchers et Warhammer. Au niveau méso, nos résultats montrent l’importance du chevauchement des cultures des communautés dans la co-construction et la diffusion du système culturel. Ils distinguent les cultures dominantes des cultures dominées et soulèvent les questions de résistance et de réticence à l’emprunt culturel. Au niveau individuel, cette recherche suggère un cheminement acculturatif et met en évidence des acteurs et des facteurs favorisant l’acculturation. Le produit marqué reste au centre de la culture de marque. Ce travail s’intéresse également aux stratégies et aux outils de l’entreprise dans l’exercice de co-construction et de diffusion de ces processus. Nous présentons les conséquences sur les communautés. Plusieurs enseignements sont soulevés pour gérer les risques acculturatifs. / This research focuses on the brand culture. It aims to understand what the role of brand communities in the process of co- construction and dissemination of brand culture is . To do so , we gave an essential place to acculturation, a concept borrowed from anthropology and psychology. Our interpretative approach and abductive reasoning led us to select four brand worlds to conduct an ethnographic study for two years, Harley- Davidson, Quiksilver , Weight Watchers and Warhammer . At the meso level, our results showed the importance of overlapping cultures of the communities in the co-construction and dissemination of the cultural system. They distinguished dominant cultures from dominated cultures and raised issues of resistance and reluctance to cultural borrowing. At the individual level, this research suggested an acculturative thought process and highlighted the actors and factors fostering acculturation. The labeled product remains central to the brand culture. This work also focused on the business strategies and tools in the exercise of co- construction and dissemination of these processes. We have presented the impacts on communities. We have learnt several lessons from this research to manage acculturative risks.