Large areas of the UK have witnessed intense industrialisation since the industrial revolution in the latter part of the 18th Century. Increased environmental awareness and pressure to redevelop brown field sites, have resulted in the majority of civil engineering projects undertaken within the UK encountering some form of contamination. In order to collect the vast amount of information required to assess a potentially contaminated site, a multi-stage site investigation (preliminary investigation, exploratory and detailed investigation) is usually undertaken. The information collected during the investigation allows the three components of the risk assessment process to be identified. These components are the source of contamination, possible pathways for the movement of contaminants and vulnerable targets on and off site. A prototype knowledge-based system (ATTIC Assessment Tool for The Investigation of Contaminated Land) has been developed to demonstrate that knowledge-based technology can be applied to the preliminary stage of the investigation of contaminated land. ATTIC assesses information collected during the preliminary stage of an investigation (past use, geological map, hydrological maps etc.) and assists with the risk assessment process, with the prediction of potential contaminants, hazards and risk to neighbouring areas. The system has been developed, using CLIPS software. It consists of four knowledgebases (source, pathway, target and health and safety knowledge-base), containing 1600 rules. The knowledge within the knowledge-bases was obtained from two main sources. The initial and main source was the technical literature. Obtaining knowledge from technical literature involved reviewing published material, extracting relevant information and converting information into rules suitable for the knowledge-base system. The second source of knowledge was domain experts via a knowledge elicitation exercise. The exercise took the form of a questionnaire relating to the rules and parameters within the system. A Visual Basics interface was also developed in conjunction with the knowledge-based system, in order to allow data entry to the system. The interface uses a series of forms relating to different components within the risk assessment process. On completion of compiling the prototype, the system was validated against a number of case studies. The system predicted the likely contaminants with a reasonable match to those observed, even though the input data for the case studies was limited. The assessment of risks to neighbouring target areas was generally in agreement with the case study reports, matching similar risk values and directions. In addition to the development of the prototype system, a database modelled on the Association of Geotechnical Specialists electronic format for the transfer of ground investigation data was also developed to store preliminary investigation information. The data structures were implemented using Microsoft Access relational database management system software. This allowed the database to be developed within a Microsoft Windows environment.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Blake Belanger / Resilience in social-ecological systems, defined by ecologist C.S. Holling (1973), is the persistence of systems after a disturbance. This theory of resilience is becoming increasingly important, especially in urban areas where human systems dominate. Therefore, creating resilient social-ecological systems is emerging as a focus for many landscape architects when designing urban landscapes. Researchers and practitioners have created frameworks and strategies for applying resilience theory, but designers are still lacking tangible methods they can use to implement design strategies to create resilient landscapes. This research presents a set of resilient design strategies, so landscape architects can have a tool to design generally resilient social-ecological systems in urban areas. In order to discover strategies which improve system resilience, I conducted a literature review and created a perceptual model of the social-ecological systems operating in the study site, Washington Square Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The perceptual model determined systems and system components I focused on in this research. These systems are soil, water, vegetation, fauna, and people. Strategies suggested by Jack Ahern (2011), Brian Walker and David Salt (2006), and Kevin Cunningham (2013) for creating resilience determined strategies which were applied to the system components in order to evaluate the park for resilience. The strategies suggested are modularity, redundancy, tight feedbacks, and ecosystem services. In addition, the system components and strategies were used to analyze case studies. I used strategies discovered in the case study analyses along with goals for the redesign of Washington Square Park, discovered by analyzing the site and previous park documents, to create the guidelines. I then used the guidelines to create a design proposal for the park. The current state of the system components in the park and the proposed state from the redesign were used to show the guidelines’ success in increasing the general resilience of Washington Square Park. These guidelines have potential to increase resilience in other urban civic spaces through a similar methodology I used for Washington Square Park. In addition, the guidelines have the potential to further research in applying resilience theory to the design of landscapes.

The topic of this thesis is search engine optimization (SEO). This term covers many activities, procedures and techniques. When using SEO you can improve your position in a search engine and narrow it to so called key words. The first part of the theoretical part acquaints readers with the basic facts, statistics and defines the basic terminology. The main objective of the second part is concentrated on the main elements which affect the successes of optimalization. The practical part is dealing with analysis of the optimalized e-shop including its competitors. The changes and recommendations of improvement and development of the e-shop were suggested on the basis of the analysis, the theoretical acquirements and the experience of the author. These changes are gradually implemented in the following part of the thesis. The impact on the attendance and placement in the search engines is reviewed after the realization of the suggested above.

Thesis advisor: Dale Herbeck / The established standard for incitement articulated in Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) has developed into a staple of First Amendment law. The Brandenburg standard for incitement works in the real world, but questions have been raised about whether it can be extended into cyberspace. This thesis examines this question through an analysis of threatening web sites such as the Nuremberg Files, and accompanying jurisprudence. The ability of web sites to incite illegal action is undoubtedly compromised by the characteristics that differentiate them from the physical world—What is to be done when laws intended to encompass a much simpler form of expression lose their relevance? / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Communication Honors Program. / Discipline: Communication.

1: Por este livro passam outros. 1.1: Que são teses e dissertações senão livros? 1.2: O livro como um lugar, não um livro objeto, mas enquanto meio, programa. 2: Um corpo cujo contorno renega seu papel continente, sempre apontando sua razão de existir para além de seus limites. 3: Uma aproximação mimética, na medida em que se utiliza das possibilidades dispostas, categorias e ítens sobressalentes de um dispositivo opaco: a nota de rodapé, o registro fotográfico, a escrita formatada, a descrição como maneira, a pretensão de distância reflexiva, a objetividade anunciada em resumos. 4: O resgate suspeitoso de um mito de origem: a inserção da produção de arte no campo de erudição acadêmico sem que a primeira tivesse de se submeter ao segundo, (daí a noção de hóspede tomada de Duchamp, e como consequência sua dimensão fantasmática). 3. 1: Costurar tudo pela narrativa de um sujeito que a um só tempo analisa, olha e é visto, predicado. 5: Manipular os dados, e por isso, admitir a manipulação como método científico. Então afirmar tudo como num Tratado. 3.2: Foi dado um aviso: \"descrever muitas vezes nos desobriga de explicar\". Mas veio demasiado tarde: já se havia optado, como estratégia, pela distração. 5. 1: Propor a leitura, implicada em sua ficção, de uma linha de pesquisa e o que esta guarda de específico - quem sabe um manual, no sentido de que o livro pode-se ter em mãos. Mas nem vale fazer caso desta introdução. Resumo nenhum abre mão de sua pretensão de roteiro conciso que dispensa o que finge anunciar, o parodiar de mais uma Tese. / If the images give in to the association urge that gives them impulse, without the bond that condemns them to the shroud of ordinate thought. If writing renounces the imposed duty of servant to the ideas. If the footnotes leak through the page, allowing the book\'s layout to breath. If translation is confronted by treason, we assume this treason as creation and books cease to disguise as mere support for content: \"By this book elapse others. What are thesis and dissertations, but books?\" What would then be necessary to grant this Thesis, despite its uncommon format, any trace of respectability? In different languages, the political pretensions which are close to us sound like the resume of a fairy tale: \"In a far a way University, ranked first amidst those from Cruzeiro do Sul, there is a singular line of research, understood by us as a place among others...\" But it might come handy since we still defend fictional grounds as something proper of our condition. A matter of resistance to the appropriation faced by our writings to strange purposes -- although our purpose itself might be the strange one. To quote academics as writers, to quote Bataille`s Story of the Eye and, without notice, to grant the story a scientific status. To quote fiction itself and the wealthiest concepts in the most readable way, keeping its improper spelling: Concept. And thinking in a pragmatic way, how glamorous wouldn\'t be a well formulated monograph -- extended linearly and permeated with reflections proper to its medium -- named with an easily translatable title: Thesis as Site?

Glucansucrases são enzimas que atuam em reações de síntese de polissacarídeos e oligossacarídeos. Para que esses biocatalisadores sejam aplicados em escala industrial, é desejável ótimas estabilidades térmica e operacional, o que pode ser alcançado com a imobilização de enzimas. Como alternativa aos suportes sólidos amplamente estudados, está a quitosana, polímero que não apresenta toxicidade e possui alta biocompatibilidade e alta afinidade com proteínas. Outra possibilidade promissora na imobilização de enzimas, é a síntese dos agregados enzimáticos entrecruzados (CLEAs), os quais apresentam alta atividade catalítica e alta estabilidade. Contudo, uma peculiaridade das glucansucrases quando produzidas em meio contendo sacarose é a camada de polímero que as envolve, e que bloqueia o acesso aos grupos reativos na superfície da proteína. No caso da expressão heteróloga das glucansucrases em Escherichia coli essa dificuldade pode ser contornada. Além disso, o uso da mutagênese sítio-dirigida pode proporcionar modificações de aminoácidos na superfície da enzima, tais como os resíduos Lys, Cys, His, com o intuito de que melhorias na imobilização sejam alcançadas. Sendo assim, na primeira etapa desse trabalho, uma extensa discussão é apresentada em relação às metodologias de imobilização de dextransucrase encontradas na literatura. A seguir, estudos referentes à imobilização da dextransucrase de Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512 F em esferas de quitosana ativadas com glutaraldeído foram realizados. Esse imobilizado apresentou alta atividade catalítica (197 U/g) quando utilizada a carga de proteína de 400 mg/g de suporte. Além disso, observou-se que a imobilização covalente e os açúcares maltose e glicose promoveram proteção à enzima em temperaturas de 40 ºC e 50 ºC. Na etapa seguinte, a produção e a caracterização de CLEAs de dextransucrase de L. mesenteroides B-512 F foram investigados. Demonstrou-se que o tratamento com a dextranase foi essencial para a imobilização da glucansucrase e que o isopropanol foi o melhor agente precipitante. Os CLEAs apresentaram pH e temperatura ótimos de 3,0 e 60 ºC, respectivamente, enquanto que a dextransucrase imobilizada nas esferas de quitosana funcionalizada com glutaraldeído apresentaram os valores de 4,5 e 20 ºC. Ambas formas imobilizadas apresentaram boa estabilidade operacional na síntese de oligossacarídeos uma vez que após 10 ciclos, 40 % de atividade residual foi observada. Por fim, estão apresentados estudos sobre a modelagem das estruturas tridimensionais e a mutagênese sítio-dirigida das glucansucrases DSR-S vardel Δ4N and ASR C-APY del. Os modelos preditos demonstraram boa qualidade e a mutagênese sítio-dirigida não promoveu perdas significativas na atividade enzimática dos mutantes. Somente o mutante DSR_S326C mostrouse inativo. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a imobilização da dextransucrase foi satisfatória e que cada técnica possibilita diferentes características ao imobilizado. Além disso, os imobilizados foram adequados para síntese de dextrana e oligossacarídeos. / Glucansucrases are enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. In order to assure continuous processing and reuse of the biocatalyst in industrial applications, enzyme immobilization techniques are required to promote good thermal and operational stabilities. Among the several solid supports for enzyme immobilization, chitosan shows interesting properties because it is non-toxic, it is biocompatible, and it has high protein affinity. Other possibility is the production of cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs), which presents high catalytic activity and good stability. However, glucansucrases have a particularity when produced in sucrose medium, since a polymer layer surrounds the protein, blocking the access to reactive groups on the enzyme surface. To overcome this problem, it is possible to make the heterologous production of glucansucrases in Escherichia coli. Likewise, the site-directed mutagenesis may promote changes in the amino acids located on the surface to improve immobilization parameters. Therefore, this work aimed to discuss the several techniques applied for dextransucrase immobilization, and to design new immobilized biocatalysts. In a first step, it is presented a review about the distinct immobilization methodologies for dextransucrase. In a second study, an investigation about dextransucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512 F immobilized on glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan particles was carried out. The novel immobilized biocatalyst showed 197 U/g (400 mg/g dried support) of catalytic activity. The covalent immobilization promoted protection against enzyme damages at 40 ºC and 50 ºC, whereas maltose and glucose acted as stabilizers. Furthermore, it was studied the production and characterization of CLEAs dextransucrase from L. mesenteroides B-512 F. It was demonstrated that dextranase treatment was crucial for immobilization. Isopropanol was chosen as the best precipitant agent. CLEAs presented optimal pH and temperature of 3.0 and 60 ºC, respectively, whereas it was found values of 4.5 e 20 ºC for dextransucrase immobilized on glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan particles. Both immobilized biocatalysts showed good operational stability in the oligosaccharides synthesis, exhibiting 40 % of residual activity after 10 cycles. Finally, the study concerning the homology modeling and site-directed mutagenesis of glucansucrases DSR-S vardel Δ4N and ASR C-APY del is presented. The predicted models showed good quality and it has been demonstrated that the site-directed mutagenesis did not promote significant losses in the variant enzyme activities. Only one mutant (DSR_S326C) had shown no dextransucrase activity. The results obtained in this work suggest that the immobilization of dextransucrase was satisfactory, also showing that each technique promotes different characteristics to the immobilized biocatalyst. Besides, these immobilized enzymes were feasible for the synthesis of dextran and oligosaccharides.

This research introduced a geological perspective into an archaeological setting, the Ness of Brodgar, a Middle to Late Neolithic site in the West Mainland of Orkney. Discovered in 2003, the site is located on an isthmus of land between two lochs and is equidistant between the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness stone circles. The site consists of more than two dozen drystone buildings encircled by a massive wall. To date, ten per cent of the site has been excavated. This research established a systematic framework of protocols and procedures for the recovery, macro geological assessment and identification of the rock and mineral species in the non-tool, non-structural rocks, termed Foreign Stone for this research. Once identified, the frequency and distribution of the rock in the Foreign Stone finds were calculated, providing a geological basis for understanding any patterns of rock choice across the site. Integrated into a more conventional archaeological study of the Worked Stone artefacts was a systematic macro petrological analysis of these finds. Additionally, selected segments of the interior drystone walling were assessed to identify the rock in the various members. These petrologic analyses combined to provide insight into the range of rocks transported to and utilized within the site. Comparative analysis of the data from all three aspects, Foreign Stone, Worked stone and walling, was undertaken to identify trends in frequencies and patterns of use of the various rock species. Archival and more current information on the petrologic resources available within Orkney were synthesized in a gazetteer identifying the location(s) of rock outcrops and deposits. This permitted the source location(s) of many of the rocks from the Ness of Brodgar to be identified.

O presente trabalho trata das relações estabelecidas entre a preservação do patrimônio edificado e o planejamento e a gestão urbana do sítio histórico da Cidade de Sobral, tombado pelo Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional - IPHAN em 1999. Com ênfase para as novas abordagens do tombamento federal de áreas urbanas no Brasil e em outros países, em seus aspectos políticos, gerenciais e transformadores, a experiência de preservação urbana em Sobral é analisada sob a ótica dos conceitos de cidade-monumento, cidade-documento, cidade-empreendimento e cidade-instrumento, esta a hipótese principal da tese. / This work deals with relations established between the preservation of the built cultural heritage and urban planning and management of the historic site of Sobral, protected as nacional monument by Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional - IPHAN since 1999. Emphasizing new approaches of the federal listing of urban areas in Brazil and other coutries, in its political, administrative and changing aspects, Sobral urban preservation experience is analyzed trough the concepts of cidade-monumento, cidade-documento, cidade-empreendimento e cidade-instrumento, this the main hipothesis of the work.

Chan Kam Leung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-182). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Acknowledgements --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii / Abbreviations --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- General Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Drosophila as a model for studying development --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- The formation of the body axis in Drosophila --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- The maternal genes are essential for development --- p.9 / Chapter 1.4 --- Maternal gene bicoid is essential for formation of the anterior structures in the embryo --- p.11 / Chapter 1.5 --- The formation of the biocid protein gradient from anterior pole to posterior pole of the embryo --- p.13 / Chapter 1.6 --- The bed protein gradient controls the downstream zygotic target genes in a concentration-dependent manner --- p.15 / Chapter 1.7 --- The formation of the bed protein gradient in embryo --- p.17 / Chapter 1.8 --- Components required for bcd mRNA localization at anterior pole of oocyte --- p.21 / Chapter 1.8.1 --- Cis-acting elements --- p.21 / Chapter 1.8.2 --- Trans-acting elements --- p.21 / Chapter 1.9 --- The properties of exuperantia protein --- p.25 / Chapter 1.9.1 --- The function of exu protein --- p.25 / Chapter 1.9.2 --- Exuperantia is a phosphoprotein --- p.26 / Chapter 1.9.3 --- Phosphorylation pattern of exuperantia protein is stage-specific --- p.28 / Chapter 1.9.4 --- Reversible phosphorylation is one of the major mechanisms to control protein activity in all eukaryotic cells --- p.29 / Chapter 1.9.5 --- The relationship between the exu protein phosphorylation and the bcd mRNA localization --- p.30 / Chapter 1.10 --- Aim of project --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Preparation of the exuperantia genomic DNA and complement DNA (cDNA) mutant Constructs / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.33 / Chapter 2.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.35 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- DNA preparation methods --- p.35 / Chapter 2.2.1.1 --- Preparation of double-stranded DNA by polyethylene glycol6000 --- p.35 / Chapter 2.2.1.2 --- Preparation of M13mp8 single-stranded DNA --- p.37 / Chapter 2.2.1.3 --- "Preparation of double-stranded DNA by Biol prep (Modified from Maniatis et al.,1989)" --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- "Preparation of DH5α，JM109, TG1 competent cells" --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Bacteria transformation --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Restriction enzyme digestion --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Phenol/chloroform extraction --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Purification of DNA fragment by electro-elution --- p.42 / Chapter 2.2.7 --- DNA ligation --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2.8 --- DNA dephosphorylation --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2.9 --- In vitro site-directed mutagenesis --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.9.1 --- The Sculptor´ёØ in vitro mutagenesis --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.9.2 --- The GeneEditor´ёØ in vitro site-directed mutagenesis --- p.47 / Chapter 2.2.10 --- The double-stranded or single-stranded DNA sequencing by T7 DNA polymerase sequencing system --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.11 --- Denatured polyacrylamide gel electorphoresis --- p.51 / Chapter 2.2.11 --- Nucleotide sequence of the sequencing primers and the mutageneic oligonucleotides --- p.54 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.55 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Design exuperantia mutant constructs --- p.55 / Chapter 2.3.1.1 --- Comparison of exu protein amino acids sequence with different Drosophila species --- p.56 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- The exu genomic mutant constructs --- p.63 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- The exu cDNA mutant constructs --- p.63 / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.76 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Epitope tagging of exuperantia protein with c-myc eptiope / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.79 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.84 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Preparation of the c-myc eptiope DNA fragment --- p.84 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- End-filling of 5'overhang DNA fragment by Klenow fragment --- p.86 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- In vitro translation of protein by TNT® Quick coupled transcription and translation system --- p.86 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Immunoprecipitation of recombinant exu protein --- p.87 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) --- p.88 / Chapter 3.2.5.1 --- SDS-PAGE preparation --- p.88 / Chapter 3.2.5.2 --- SDS-PAGE electrophoresis --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- Western blot analysis --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2.6.1 --- Transfer the protein to a nitro-cellulose membrane by semi-dried blotting --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2.6.2 --- Western blot blocking and antibody recognition --- p.91 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.92 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Construction of the plasmid containing exu cDNA tagging with a c-myc epitope --- p.92 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- In vitro translation of c-myc epitope tagged exu protein --- p.102 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Immunoprecipitation of c-myc labeled exu protein by a polyclonal rabbit anti-exu antibody and monoclonal mouse anti-myc antibody --- p.104 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.109 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- In vitro phosphorylation of exuperantia Protein / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.111 / Chapter 4.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.113 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Exogenous kinase phsophorylation reactions --- p.113 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Separation of the phosphorylated exu protein variants by SDS- PAGE --- p.114 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.115 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Western blot analysis of in vitro translated exu protein variants --- p.115 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Phosphorylation of in vitro translated exu protein variants by exogenous cAMP-dependent protein kinase --- p.118 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Phosphorylation of in vitro translated exu protein variants by exogenous cGMP-dependent protein kinase --- p.123 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Phosphorylation of in vitro translated exu protein variants by exogenous protein kinase C --- p.128 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.133 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- Introduction of the exuperantia genomic constrcuts into the germline of Drosophila by P element-mediated transformation / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.136 / Chapter 5.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.138 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Construction of a genomic construct for production of transgenic flies --- p.138 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Preparation of double-stranded DNA by ultra-centrifugation --- p.142 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- P-element mediated transformation --- p.143 / Chapter 5.2.3.1 --- Eggs collection --- p.143 / Chapter 5.2.3.2 --- Dechorionating the eggs --- p.143 / Chapter 5.2.3.3 --- Orientating the eggs --- p.144 / Chapter 5.2.3.4 --- Microinjection --- p.145 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Collecting virgin female Drosophila --- p.146 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Setup a crossing experiment --- p.146 / Chapter 5.2.6 --- Preparation of total ovaries and testes extracts exu protein from Female and male Drosophila --- p.147 / Chapter 5.2.7 --- Immunohistochemical distribution of exuperantia protein --- p.147 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results --- p.150 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Insertion of the mutated exu fragments into the Drosophila Transformation vector (pCaSpeR) --- p.150 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Introduction of the mutated exu gene into the genome of Drosophila by P-element mediated transformation --- p.153 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Western blot analysis of the exu protein in the exu (ES2.1) transgenic fly --- p.160 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Immunohistochemical distribution of exu protein in exuES21 mutants --- p.162 / Chapter 5.3.5 --- Rescue test of exuES2.1 trangenic flies --- p.165 / Chapter 5.4 --- Discussion --- p.168 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- General Discussion --- p.171 / References --- p.173 / Chapter Appendix I: --- List of reagents --- p.183 / Chapter Appendix II: --- Publication --- p.187

Following a call from Linton (2010) to think more relationally about water this thesis seeks to explore the infolding and unfolding relations that take-form between bodies around particular characteristics of freshwater. There is a tradition of exploration regarding the sustainability, quality, monitoring and management of water when we encounter research on human associations with fluvial hydrology, and whilst this work is important, this project looks to enrol more nascent and contemporary geographical themes to broaden our understanding of encounters with freshwater landscapes, and take a more relational approach to fluvial geographies. These works then shall address a gap in the geographical literature and describe the personal, pre-personal and affective worlds that emerge when bodies become down by the river. Whilst this is not specifically a walking project, walking the course of the River Severn serves as a trajectory along which processual ideas of bodies on the move shall be mobilised. A series of creatively written segues will link together a sequence of theoretical and conceptually driven site ontologies (Marston et al 2005; Woodward et al 2010) and relations associated with the Severn and freshwater more broadly. The flow and form of the thesis will reflect the multivariant characteristics of water and its varying speeds and slownesses. The chapters will step into puddles, mooch about in a ships graveyard, rethink the source of a river, paddle a coracle and set the scene for how an ontological, relational approach to fluvial landscapes can contribute to geographical thinking. The works will focus on human-nonhuman relations, vibrant materialities and elemental mobilities, in so doing enable further understanding of how we can apprehend sites as moments of coherence in a turbulent world, and contribute to broadening our scope of knowledge of the more-than-human.