Abhishiktananda described himself as a “Hindu-Christian monk”, and spent much of his life blurring the religious boundaries between being Hindu and being Christian. There are many others like him who have claimed or been assigned religious identities which might seem paradoxical. In contemporary theological speak, they can be seen as having a ‘double religious identity’; that is, they are believed to be engaging with both simultaneously. Indeed a ‘theology of double religious identity’ tends to attribute this to cultural norms, family ties, syncretism or even a consumerist approach, and has explored it mostly through Buddhist-Christian examples. Whilst a few references have been made to ‘Hindu-Christian identity’, this thesis has chosen to widen the demographic and draw on a set of case studies solely located within the interfaith sphere of Hindu-Christian dialogue (These include Robert de Nobili, Abhishiktananda and Brahmabandhab Upadhyay). By exploring it outside of the Buddhist-Christian paradigm, this thesis hopes to aid a better theological understanding of double religious identity, by examining both how and why such identities occur. The shift into Hindu-Christian dialogue uncovers further reasons as to why double religious identity might arise, which includes aesthetics, politics, theology and inculturation. Inculturation is a means of mission and dialogue which involves suitably adapting another religious culture to ground the Church in a different context. This use of religious symbolism has led, at times, to perceptions of its practitioners as both Hindu and Christian. Indeed, this thesis concludes that perception plays a large role in the designation and understanding of people’s double religious identities. It hopes that this research will aid further interest in the interactions between religious identities, particularly within Hindu-Christian dialogue. By taking a broader approach to what constitutes and influences a person’s religious identity, such identities as ‘Hindu-Christian’ can be better understood.

ATM is a large and complex gene, identified as the recessive gene mutated in individuals with the childhood syndrome ataxia telangiectasia. While AT patients are rare and the disease has many severe symptoms, including cerebellar degeneration, immunodeficiency and a very high cancer risk, the relatively common carriers of one mutation are clinically normal. However, there is some evidence that these heterozygotes, too, have a high relative risk of cancer, especially breast cancer in women. The cellular radio sensitivity of carriers is intermediate between that of normal individuals and that of AT patients, and this may suggest the cells are predisposed to tumorigenic transformation. ATM is believed to be involved in DNA damage response, but the mechanisms by which it works are not fully understood. In this study, DNA from 412 Scottish women with breast cancers were screened for two ATM mutations, known to be relatively common in Celtic populations. In attempting to estimate the burden in Scotland of breast cancers in AT heterozygotes, it is shown here that even these two most common ATM mutations in the UK account for only a small proportion of all ATM mutations. None of these mutations were found, suggesting that these particular mutations do not confer a predisposition to breast cancer. Also presented are the results of various immunological studies. The ATM protein is shown to be localised to specific structures within the nucleus of a normal cell. It appears to be found in a number of different forms, varying in size and state of glycosylation. It sediments at a relatively low speed, suggesting that it is normally bound in a large protein complex. This work indicates that a large-scale screening study will be required to establish whether or not AT carriers are at an increased risk of cancer, and reveals that the ATM product may be present in more than one form, depending on whether the cell' stimulated to divide.

This study is concerned with the synthesis of conjugated polyheterocycles with potential metal binding sites for applications in sensors, catalysis and electronics. The first synthetic approach to polyheterocycles was based on the interfacial polycondensation of a dihydrazide derivative of pyridine with a diacid chloride to produce a precursor polymer. It was shown, however, the starting materials could not be easily prepared in high yield. Model studies confirmed the feasibility of the route but these studies also suggested that the precursor polymers were unlikely to be very soluble. The second precursor route explored began with the preparation of 2,6-diethynylpyridine. The intermolecular Glaser coupling of the ethyne groups afforded the precursor polymer, poly((2,6'-pyridyl)but-l,3-diyne), as a black powder which was insufficiently soluble to allow conversion to the poly heterocycles. A series of dimers and trimers containing various combinations of 2-furyl, 2-thienyl and 2-pyridyl moieties were prepared using two different coupling procedures that yielded compounds with the required 2,2'-heteroatom arrangement as required for metal binding. Some of these monomers were electropolymerised and the metal binding properties of these polymers was investigated by cychc voltammetry. In particular, the two trimers: 2,5-di-(2-thienyl) pyridine; and 2,6-di-(2-thienyl) pyridine showed potential metal coordination despite their hydrophobic nature and impermeability towards metal complexes. Evidence was presented to suggest that these polymers are protonated during the electropolymerisation reaction. X-ray analysis of the 2,5-di-(2-thienyl) pyridine showed that only the 2,2'-linked thiophene was coplanar with the pyridine due to a charge transfer interaction. This interaction insures that S and N atoms have a planar syn arrangement conducive to metal binding. Several oligothiophenes were prepared to investigate methods for enhancing the solubility of polyheterocycles. The knowledge gained from these investigations was used to prepare a series of regiochemically well-defined poly((3-alkyl)thiophenes). The regularity of these polymers was confirmed by NMR analysis. Related monomers were prepared containing the necessary solubilising alkyl groups as well as phenyl groups designed to act as acceptor ligands for the low-valent transition metals such as ruthenium(II). The electrochemistry of these novel thiophene monomers is reported.

An animal's own behaviour can give rise to sensory stimulation that is very similar to stimulation of completely external origin. Much of this self-induced stimulation has little informative value to the animal and may even interfere with the processing of externally-induced stimulation. A high-level association area in the temporal cortex of macaque (superior temporal polysensory area, STP) which has been shown to participate in the analysis of visual motion was targeted in a series of experiments in order to investigate whether this brain area discriminates externally- and self-induced stimulation in its visual motion processing. Earlier results in somatosensory processing within this same brain area provided grounds for this presumption The cells studied in here were sensitive to the presence of motion but showed no selectivity for the form of the stimulus. 25% of all visually responsive cells in area STP were classified as belonging to this class of cells. This group of cells was further categorized into unidirectional (39%), bidirectional (4%) and pandirectional (57%) cells. Tuning to direction varied in sharpness. For most cells the angular change in direction required to reduce response to half maximal was between 45 and 70 degrees. The optimal directions of cells appeared clustered around cartesian axes, (up/down, left/right and towards/away). The response latency varied between 35.0-126.4 ms (mean 90.9 ms). On average cell responses showed a transient burst of activity followed by a tonic discharge maintained for the duration of stimulation. 83% of the motion sensitive cells lacking form selectivity responded to any stimuli moved by the experimenter, but gave no response to the sight of the animal's own limb movements. The cells remained, however, responsive to external stimulation while the monkey's own hand was moving in view. Responses to self-induced movements were recovered if the monkey introduced a novel object in its hand into view. That the response discrimination between externally- and self-induced stimulation was not caused by differences in the visual appearance of the stimuli was confirmed in the second experiment where the monkey was trained to rotate a handle connected to a patterned cylinder in order to generate visual motion stimulation over a fixation point. 61% of the tested cells discriminated between pattern motion generated by the monkey and by the experimenter. It was shown that the monkey's motor activity as such (turning a handle without visible cylinder rotation) did not affect the cells' spontaneous activity. Some indication was received to suggest that the discriminative mechanism is using not only (motor) corollary discharges but also proprioceptive input. These results also gave evidence of the plasticity of discriminative processing in STP for the animal's life-time experiences. Finally, the cells were studied for their responsiveness for image motion resulting from movements of external objects and movements of the animal's body (self-motion). 84% of the cells responded only to visual object-motion and failed to respond to visual motion resulting from animal's self-motion. The experiments also revealed that area STP processes visual motion mostly in observer- relative terms, i.e. in reference to the perceiver itself. The results provide one explanation for the functional significance of the convergence of several modalities of sensory (and motor) input in the STP. It is suggested that area STP works as a "neural filter" to separate expected sensory consequences resulting from one's own actions from those that originate from the actions of other animals or environmental events.

A. A study has been made of the tension responses and relative sliding movements of the actin and myosin filaments which result when controlled length changes of variable amplitude and velocity are applied to contracting frog's muscle. B. The tension increment produced by a 'ramp and hold' stretch of approximately 1mm (about 4 % of muscle length) consists of three phases whose limits are defined by two points, designated S1 and S2, where the slope of the increase of tension changes abruptly. S1 and S2 correspond with muscle extensions of 40-45 mum and 325 - 375mum, respectively. C. Displacement of the actin and myosin filaments was recorded simultaneously by monitoring changes in the diffraction spectra produced by illuminating a small area of muscle with a laser. The spectra were projected onto a screen and photographed with a cine-camera. The spacing of the 1st order lines was measured and used to calculate sarcomere length. D. Cine photography of diffraction spectra showed that a variable, and sometimes large, proportion of the length change applied to the muscle is taken up by extension of elastic elements arranged in series with the sarcomeres. During the early part of the stretch, filament displacement is less than would be anticipated if all of the external length change was distributed uniformly amongst the sarcomeres. E. The way in which sarcomeres shorten during the onset and development of an isometric tetanus shows that the series elastic elements become progressively stiffer with increasing extension; at peak tetanic tension their compliance is found to be approximately 6.5 x 10-4m.N-1. F. When the actin and myosin filaments are forcibly displaced by about 11-12nm from their 'steady state' position at the peak of an isometric tetanus, the sarcomere length increases abruptly by some 20- 30nm, a phenomenon referred to as rapid 'give'. The 11-12nm displacement before rapid 'give' occurs, represents the range of movement of the filaments over which the myosin cross-bridges can be distorted yet remain attached to the actin active site. This range of movement is found to be independent of sarcomere length, and hence, of interfilamentary spacing. Crossbridges are bridges are forcibly broken when the filaments are made to move by more than 11-12nm. The sudden increase in compliance of the sarcomeres which results effects an abrupt shortening of the stretched elastic elements (elastic recoil) at the expense of the sarcomeres in series with them, producing rapid 'give'. G. The stiffness of the sarcomeres and the force they are able to bear immediately prior to rapid 'give' (the maximum 'holding' force, designated Ps2) both directly proportional to filament overlap. Hence, the stiffness of an individual cross-bridge and its affinity for the actin active region are quantities which must be independent of the surface-to-surface separation of the filaments. The minimum stiffness of a single cross-bridge is estimated to be around 2.7 x 10-4 N.m-1. H. Tension changes and sarcomere movements during single and double cycles of stretch and release were recorded. The events occurring during a second cycle stretch differ markedly from those during a first. Cross-bridges can accommodate a wider range of filament movement without detaching , 18 nm as compared with 12 nm, if the second stretch is applied without delay after the proceeding release. The stiffness of the sarcomeres is approximately the same for a second cycle stretch ( 5.3 x 1012N.m-2 per metre extension of each half sarcomere) as for a first (5.95 x 1012N. 9 m-2 per metre extension of each half sarcomere), indicating that the number of cross-bridges holding the filaments together is not altered appreciably. These results are compatible with Huxley & Simmons recent model. They suggest an actin active region of length 15 nm, made up of four regularly spaced (~5.0 nm separation) attachment sites, corresponding with individual actin monomers.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the flow of nonsymbolic auditory information in humans. To achieve this goal the observer adjusts the loudness of a Gaussian noise (GN) signal to match the perceived intensity of an electrodermal stimulus (EDS), a cross-modality matching task. The loudness of the GN and the voltage of the EDS mere maintained within the observer's (O's) sensory probabilistic zone. The sensory probabilistic zone is a range of stimulus intensity from somewhere above "no detection" to "100% detection". The independent variable is a binary condition in that it consisted of catch trials of the time and the remaining time of an EDS at a given intensity (previously determined at an intensity that elicited a response 50% of the time). Consequently, the O's adjustment of the GN reflected his decision-making processes, analysed by signal detection theory and cybernetics. Experiment one demonstrated that neither practice nor the experimenter influenced the O's performance. Also, there are no residual carry-over effects. The 0 has difficulty assigning relative value to the auditory signals and has little or no difficulty in combining, organizing or co-ordinating the auditory information. The second experiment demonstrated that the O's difficulty in assigning relative value to the signals is due to a short memory retention of the nonsymbolic auditory signals (half-life of less than a second). However, verbal confidence ratings (VCRs) add persistency to the auditory memory (echoic memory), its half-life is extended to about 3.1 seconds. The VCR has a half-life of about four seconds. Experiment three demonstrated that nonsymbolic auditory information processing is not affected by interfering signals. From a cybernetic model of the results it is concluded that nonsymbolic auditory information is processed by a filtered, single channel, series processor. Persistency is added to the system's memory component by an interaction between the auditory (echoic) memory and the conceptual symbolic system (VCR).

Two methods are presented for use on an electronic computer for the solution of partial differential systems. The first is concerned with accurate solutions of differential equations. It is equally applicable to ordinary differential equations and partial differential equations, and can be used for parabolic, hyperbolic or elliptic systems, and also for non-linear and mixed systems. It can be used in conjunction with existing schemes. Conversely, the method can be used as a very fast method of obtaining a rough solution of the system. It has an additional advantage over traditional higher order methods in that it does not require extra boundary conditions. The second method is concerned with the acceleration of the convergence rate in the solution of hyperbolic systems. The number of iterations has been reduced from tens of thousands with the traditional Lax-Wendroff methods to the order of twenty iterations. Analyses for both the differential and the difference systems are presented. Again the method is easily added to existing programs. The two methods may be used together to give one fast and accurate method.

The Tertiary ultrabasic dykes of the Cuillins and the Strathaird peninsula are studied and classified on the bases of their content of cognate xenoliths and textures. Two principal types are, recognised, the Coire Lagan type (similar to those studied by Drever and Johnston, 1958) and the xenolithic Ben Cleat type. The dykes of the Ben Cleat type are investigated in detail. The Ben Cleat dykes are composed principally of olivine (Fa11), plagioclase (Ang4 with normally zoned margins) and clinopyroxene (Ca43 Mg46 Fe11) with accessory chrome spinel: the compositions of these minerals are constant throughout the dykes. The transverse variations in modal amount and crystal size of the three principal minerals within selected representative dykes have been determined and it is established beyond doubt that the dykes are differentiated. The petrogenetic hypothesis of composite intrusion previously proposed for these dykes by Bowen (l928) is examined in the light of this evidence and found to be inadequate. It is suggested that the dykes were intruded as suspensions of olivine crystals and rock fragments in an ultrabasic liquid from which plagioclase, pyroxene and a small amount of olivine subsequently crystallised. It is demonstrated that the dykes are unlikely to have been differentiated in their present positions and the possibility that the differentiation occurred during their emplacement is examined. The processes by which, crystals might migrate in flowing magma are considered, and it is shown that the mineral distributions and crystal size variations occurring in the dykes are analogous to those expected, from the results of theoretical and experimental investigations, to arise during laminar flow of suspensions of solid particles in a viscous fluid in vertical conduits. Several of the apparently anomalous differentiation phenomena are also interpreted in the light of theoretical fluid mechanics as the results of flow in near-vertical fissures. It is concluded that (i) the dykes were each intruded as a single pulse of ultrabasic liquid containing large amounts of olivine phenocsrysts,?(ii) the distinctive type of differentiation which is characteristic of these dykes occurred during their intrusion and (iii) the mechanism involved was flowage differentiation. The petrographiea of the cognate xenoliths are studied and their distribution and orientation explained on the basis of laminar flow of the dyke magma. The age of the xenolithic ultrabasic dykes in relation to the other intrusions of the Cuillin Tertiary igneous complex is reconsidered and it is suggested that the dykes were emplaced contemporaneously with the Sgurr Dubh ultrabasic intrusion. Petrogenetic hypotheses are advanced for both the dykes; and the cognate xenoliths and it is tentatively proposed that both were derived by partial fusion of a deep-seated peridotitic rook.

In this dissertation, I discuss two distributive principles in moral philosophy: Derek Parfit's Prioritarianism and Egalitarianism. I attempt to defend a version of Egalitarianism, which I call Weighted Egalitarianism. Although Parfit claims that Egalitarianism is subject to what he calls the Levelling Down Objection, I show (a) that my proposed Weighted Egalitarianism is not subject to the Objection, and (b) that it gives priority to the worse off people. The real difference between the two principles lies in how the weight of each person's well-being is determined. Prioritarianism assumes that there is a moral scale of the goodness of well-being, independently of distributions of people's well-being. I raise two objections to this claim: firstly, it is hard to believe that the choice of the level of well-being affects our distributive judgement; secondly, it is hard to believe that there is such a moral scale independently of distributions of people's well-being. On the other hand, Weighted Egalitarianism claims that the weight is given by the rank order position of the person in the ranking by well-being level. This means that, in Weighted Egalitarianism, the goodness of a distribution is an increasing, linear function of people's well-being. Weighted Egalitarianism is not affected by the choice of the level of people's well-being. Nor does it require require the moral scale of the goodness of well-being independently of distributions of people's well-being. Leximin, which might be a version of Prioritarianism, avoids my objections. But it is hard to support Leximin, because it rules out the trade off between the better off and the worse off. I conclude that Weighted Egalitarianism is more acceptable than Prioritarianism.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus poses a significant economic disease burden to the poultry sector of Vietnam, and is a credible threat for emergence of novel zoonotic viruses. This thesis examines the molecular evolution and epidemiology of HPAI A(H5) viruses in Vietnam identified through the national poultry surveillance system. The investigations comprised analysis of detection rates and geographic distribution of A(H5) clade variants from samples collected in live bird markets (LBMs); comprehensive analysis of whole genome sequences of viruses collected from 2012 to 2015; development of laboratory protocols for production of reference chicken antisera; and in-depth antigenic characterisations of contemporary A(H5N1) isolates. The findings underscored the high prevalence and widespread distribution of HPAI A(H5) virus within apparently healthy poultry sampled in LBMs and the difficulties in designing appropriate and effective disease management strategies. Whole genome analysis revealed significant diversification and reassortment of A(H5) viruses, with substantial in-situ evolution of clade 1 and 2.3.4 viruses between 2010 and 2012 and lineage replacements involving clade 2.3.2.1 and 2.3.4.4 viruses during 2014-2015. Antigenic analysis of contemporary A(H5N1) clade variants using chicken antisera produced at the National Center for Veterinary Diagnostics (NCVD) proved to be feasible and reproducible, and recapitulated similar patterns of clade clustering as ferret antisera. Antigenic relationships between existing poultry vaccines and circulating field viruses also appeared aligned with in-vivo vaccine challenge studies, in terms of protection profiles. Given the co-circulation of multiple, antigenically distinct clade variants, there is a great need for vaccine strategies capable of inducing broadly cross-reactive immunity. If traditional inactivated vaccines are used, bivalent or trivalent formulations may be required. The results strongly suggest that antigenic data could ultimately be used as a surrogate (or as a precursor) to challenge studies that take time and resources to conduct, thus potentially enabling more rapid assessments and decisions about poultry vaccine selection by Vietnamese animal health authorities.