This practice-led research examines ideas surrounding the interpretation of place; the representation and experience of place are explored in my practice and throughout the thesis. The practice and thesis develop an interdependent relationship where one informs the other and each provides a critical platform whereby existing beliefs are brought into question and new ideas emerge. During the research period the practice is tested against different circumstances in a variety of situations and novel responses are generated. The thesis critically analyses approaches to interpreting place through a number of formats and a variety of sources. Both practice and theory are examined through peer-reviewed conference papers, artist-in-residence programmes and publications allowing new ideas to be explored and scrutinized by the academy. A working method that recognizes the importance and usefulness of serendipity and sagacity is established, bringing together my practice and the theoretical scope of the research. My primary focus is to understand and develop critical responses to the experience and representation of place within the realm of contemporary art practice. The work of W.G. Sebald and the secondary literature surrounding his work plays a significant role in providing ways of dealing with the entanglement of knowledge. Period Drama is both the name of an artwork and the name I have given to a conference paper. Both explore the convoluted and complex methods involved in realizing a site-specific work that challenges fiercely-held beliefs about place. My intention throughout the research has been to examine a variety of approaches that explore the representation and experience of place within contemporary art practice. Prominent within this examination has been the highlighting of the need to belong to a particular place and the sense of displacement generated when this need to belong is challenged or the nature of this connection is questioned.

abstract: Minimally invasive endovascular embolization procedures decrease surgery time, speed up recovery, and provide the possibility for more comprehensive treatment of aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), and hypervascular tumors. Liquid embolic agents (LEAs) are preferred over mechanical embolic agents, such as coils, because they achieve homogeneous filling of aneurysms and more complex angioarchitectures. The gold standard of commercially available LEAs is dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which has been associated with vasospasm and angiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate amino acid substitution in an enzyme-degradable side group of an N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) copolymer for the development of a LEA that would be delivered in water and degrade at the rate that tissue is regenerated. NIPAAm copolymers have a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) due to their amphiphilic nature. This property enables them to be delivered as liquids through a microcatheter below their LCST and to solidify in situ above the LCST, which would result in the successful selective occlusion of blood vessels. Therefore, in this work, a series of poly(NIPAAm-co-peptide) copolymers with hydrophobic side groups containing the Ala-Pro-Gly-Leu collagenase substrate peptide sequence were synthesized as in situ forming, injectable copolymers.. The Gly-Leu peptide bond in these polypeptides is cleaved by collagenase, converting the side group into the more hydrophilic Gly-Ala-Pro-Gly-COOH (GAPG-COOH), thus increasing the LCST of the hydrogel after enzyme degradation. Enzyme degradation property and moderate mechanical stability convinces the use of these copolymers as liquid embolic agents. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Biomedical Engineering 2019

Demand responsive transport services are nowadays an established and recognized way to provide better social inclusion to non-urban, low population density areas. The concept has its origins in the 70´s in the USA, but just recently the advances in technology made this type of service more economically attractive. Therefore is of no surprise that this kind of transportation is starting to be a serious option in several regions across Europe. The European Commission has been promoting projects to study and implement DRT services. One of these projects, MASCARA (deMand responsive trAnsport service for increasing Social Cohesion in urbAn/Rural Areas), involved a team from the Engineering School of the University of Porto, with the participation of the author. The MASCARA project was designed to promote the cooperation between several regions in Europe to share knowledge about DRT services, evaluating DRT pilots and DRT feasibility studies. This dissertation focus on the design of a framework to help this evaluation. The work resulted in combining two known multi-criteria methodologies, namely AHP and TOPSIS. Albeit these methods were designed to help choosing (ranking) between two or more possible scenarios, the proposed framework is able to evaluate and score one scenario situations. This work can be viewed as having two parts: the first one (from chapter 1 to chapter 4) deals with the design of the framework and methodology. From chapter 5 onwards the practical application is adressed. The author work was focused on the design and software implementation of the evaluation framework.

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This study examined perceptions of effective, urban, elementary general music teachers concerning effective teaching and pre-service preparation for urban, elementary general music classrooms. The study was conducted in two phases: survey and interview. Survey phase participants were experienced, urban, elementary general music teachers from different geographical areas of the United States, who had been identified as effective teachers by music teacher educators or music supervisors. Interview phase participants comprised a subset of survey participants who achieved high levels of potential cross-cultural adaptability on the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (Kelley & Meyers, 1995). A comprehensive interview instrument was administered to each participant in a collective case study research design. From the gathered data, 162 themes emerged from coded passages, with 100 themes comprising commonalities among the six interview participants. In addition to specific traits, beliefs, and strategies, the following four meta-themes emerged from an examination of commonalities: flexibility, cultural knowledge and skills, caring and responsive attitude, and musical knowledge and music teaching skills. From these meta-themes, a model of effective, urban, elementary general music teaching was generated. Findings and implications of the study were also discussed, and recommendations were made for future research.

Oxidative stress, the imbalance of free radical generation with antioxidant defenses, leads to cellular inflammation, apoptosis and cell death. This compromised environment results in debilitating diseases, such as oral mucositis (OM), atherosclerosis, and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Antioxidant therapeutics has been a proposed strategy to ameliorate these imbalances and maintain homeostatic environments. However, the success of these approaches, specifically curcumin, has been limited due to characteristics such as hydrophobicity and high reactivity when released as bolus doses to contest to oxidative stress induced diseases. The development of a controlled release system to aid in protection of the antioxidant capacity of curcumin, as well as a tunable system to aid in proper rate of release for disease can overcome these limitations. Previously, the use of a poly(beta-amino ester) (PBAE) chemistry has been developed in Dziubla and Hilt laboratories to provide desirable properties. The dynamic mechanical analysis and efficacy in cellular protection has been studied, yet the sensitivity and responsiveness of these polymers to abnormal environments found within oxidative stress compromised environments are unknown. In this work, a series of networks were comprised of different molar ratios of modified acrylated curcumin, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate, and a primary diamine crosslinker to create tunable hydrolytically degradable crosslinked hydrogels. I hypothesized a consumption rate difference of free curcumin and curcumin as a released product from the crosslinked network in the presence of a free radical generating system. After the consumption profiles of each were reported differently, the experimental data was translated into a kinetic rate model to identify quantitative consumption rate parameters of curcumin and active film degradation products. The effect on the released products arose the question of curcumin consumption in other oxidizing environments. These networks were then investigated in low concentrations of a hydrogen peroxide insult, and interestingly showed sensitivity to hydrolysis by recovering significantly more curcumin at an accelerated rate of release. Identifying the sensitivity of these tunable networks to environmental stimuli, they were then presented to a series of low pH environments, which significantly reduced the degradation time, finding a dependence of rate of release on the weight loading of curcumin present within the film. To translate these responsive materials to an application-based system, the curcumin conjugated PBAE polymers were investigated as an oral rinse drug delivery system for the treatment of radiation-induced OM in a hamster model. Radiation-induced OM onset and severity was reduced with a 20 wt% microparticle loaded mucoadhesive system that releases curcumin over 24 hours, providing promising results of a therapeutic effect from curcumin when incorporated in to a controlled release delivery system. Overall, curcumin conjugated PBAE polymers show selectivity of hydrolysis in abnormal environments related to oxidative stress. This information is beneficial to the proper design and loading of antioxidant therapeutics within crosslinked polymers, giving the ability to tune release to treat and deliver based on the environment’s insult. This can advance the potential use for antioxidant therapeutics in pharmaceutical applications in the future.

Water remediation utilizing sorption has found strong interest due to its inexpensiveness, universal nature and ease of operation. In particular, thermo-responsive sorbents consisting of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) offer significant potential as “smart” and advanced materials to remove multiple aqueous pollutants. NIPAAm exhibits excellent thermo-responsiveness, which senses the external temperature variation and changes its swelling and sorption behaviors in a sharp and rapid manner. At the beginning of this work, an extensive review of literature has been compiled to provide a summary of NIPAAm-based thermo-responsive sorbents in water/wastewater remediation applications. Initially, we developed a novel approach to synthesize and characterize NIPAAm copolymeric hydrogels. Four different polyphenolic crosslinkers including curcumin multiacrylate (CMA), quercetin multiacrylate (QMA), 4,4’-dihydroxybiphenyl diacrylate (44BDA) and chrysin multiacrylate (ChryMA) were successfully incorporated into crosslinked hydrogels. Their temperature responsiveness and lower critical solution temperature (LCST) were characterized using swelling studies and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Increasing the crosslinker content resulted in a significant decrease in the swelling ratio and LCST, which was due to the increased crosslinking and hydrophobicity introduced by the polyphenolic crosslinkers. We also demonstrated the application of two sets of aforementioned crosslinked hydrogels (NIPAAm-co-CMA and NIPAAm-co-44BDA) as effective gel sorbents to capture phenol as a model contaminant. Temperature-dependent sorption was evaluated through a binding study of phenol at 10°C and 50°C. Significant enhancement in the sorption was observed at 50°C, and this can be attributed to the phase transition induced hydrophobic interactions between the copolymer gel and phenol. Moreover, the obtained hydrogels possessed facile and efficient regeneration ability in water at 10°C, without requiring harsh solvent treatment or high energy input. Building on the sorption behavior observed with crosslinked NIPAAm hydrogels, we extended the investigation to linear copolymer systems, and these were demonstrated as a temperature responsive flocculants. Here, NIPAAm copolymers consisting of 2-phenylphenol monoacrylate (2PPMA) were successfully developed as smart flocculants to remove metal oxide nanoparticles (e.g., Fe3O4, CeO2, TiO2). The incorporation of 2PPMA enhanced the flocculation at temperatures above the LCST (e.g., 50°C), which was due to the combined hydrophobicity of 2PPMA and NIPAAm. Overall, NIPAAm-based sorbents have a variety of applications in aqueous pollutant removal and are a promising class of materials for cost-effective water remediation technology.

Les films minces d'hydrogels thermosensibles à propriétés LCST/UCST (Lower/Upper Critical Solution Temperature) avec des températures de transition variables ont été mis au point pour des applications spécifiques. Les réseaux chimiques de polymères fixés de manière covalente sur des substrats solides plans ont été synthétisés par une approche polyvalente et facile à mettre en œuvre en utilisant la chimie click thiol-ène. Elle consiste à déposer des polymères préformés et réactifs en présence des réticulants dithiol sur des substrats modifiés thiol, la réaction de thiol-ène permettant la réticulation simultanée entre chaînes et le greffage en surface. La stratégie CLAG (Cross-Linking And Grafting) donne des films d'hydrogel chimiquement stables et reproductibles avec une large gamme d'épaisseur et avec les propriétés thermostimulables désirées. Les polymères hydrophiles fonctionnalisés par des groupes fonctionnels alcène peuvent être synthétisés en utilisant une copolymérisation radicalaire du monomère souhaité avec du méthacrylate d'allyle dans un solvant organique ou un co-solvant avec de l'eau. Une autre voie est la synthèse dans l'eau en deux étapes: le monomère désiré est copolymérisé avec l'acide acrylique puis le copolymère est modifié par l’allylamine. Trois familles de polymères ont été étudiées: poly(PEGMA), poly(acrylamide) et poly(zwitterion). La température de transition des films d'hydrogel est déterminée en mesurant l'épaisseur dans des solutions aqueuses par ellipsométrie. Les films d'hydrogel de poly(PEGMA) montrent des propriétés de LCST avec la température de transition augmentant avec le nombre d'unités de PEG. La LCST varie de 15°C à 60°C avec deux à cinq unités de PEG dans les chaînes pendantes. La LCST peut également être ajustée en utilisant des copolymères avec différents ratios. Les films d'hydrogel acrylamide ont à la fois des propriétés LCST et UCST. Les films d'hydrogel de poly(sulfobetaïne) montrent un comportement UCST très intéressant en plus d’être « anti-fouling », ce qui est très prometteur pour les applications en biologie. / Temperature-responsive surface-attached hydrogel thin films with various LCST/UCST (Lower/Upper Critical Solution Temperature) were designed for specific applications. The chemical polymer networks covalently attached on plane solid substrates were synthesized by a versatile and straightforward approach using thiol-ene click chemistry. It consists in coating ene-reactive polymers and dithiol crosslinkers on thiol-modified substrates, the thiol-ene click reaction allowing simultaneous cross-linking between chains and grafting on the surface. The CLAG (Cross-Linking And Grafting) strategy provides chemically stable and reproducible hydrogel films with a wide range of thickness and with the desired temperature-responsive properties. Ene-functionalized hydrophilic polymers can be synthesized using free radical copolymerization of the desired monomer with allyl methacrylate in organic solvent or co-solvent with water. Another way is the synthesis in water in two steps: the desired monomer is copolymerized with acrylic acid and then the copolymer is post-modified by amidification. Three polymer families were investigated: poly(PEGMA), poly(acrylamide) derivatives and poly(zwitterions). The transition temperature of the hydrogel films is determined by measuring the thickness in aqueous solutions at different temperatures with ellipsometry. Poly(PEGMA) hydrogel films show LCST properties with the transition temperature increasing with the number of PEG units. The LCST ranges from 15 °C to 60 °C with two to five PEG units in the pendant chains. The LCST can also be adjusted using mixed copolymers hydrogel. Poly(acrylamide) derivatives hydrogel films have both LCST and UCST properties. Poly(sulfobetaine) hydrogel films show very interesting UCST behavior in addition to be anti-fouling, which is very promising for biology applications.

Although education theory in general includes important insights related to the relationship between multiculturalism and pedagogy, a critical analysis of what are considered culturally responsive western adult education methods, such as Experiential Learning Cycle & Dialogue Education (ELC) suggests significant adaptations should be made when applied in settings with non-western learners. This paper highlights the challenges and opportunities of utilizing adult education methods as a framework in delivering learning opportunities in non-western settings or for non-western, new American communities in western settings. Specifically, the author discusses her experience in one Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Darfur, Sudan, presenting her findings from her critical analysis of ELC, as well as her experience designing and facilitating financial capability curriculum for Somali-Bantu women in Chittenden County, Vermont with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity Financial Futures Program. Implications from this analysis are also addressed, including the importance of further exploring assumptions held by the conceptual underpinnings of culturally responsive adult learning methods (including Dialogue Education and ELC) and adapting training-of-trainer (TOT) models and financial capability workshops to account for significant cultural differences between learners and the methods intended for use with diverse audiences.

This study explored the social inclusiveness of classrooms with culturally competent teachers who were identified both by their participation in in-service diversity training and by principal nomination. The design of this study was primarily quantitative using a one-way ANOVA to analyze whether fourth and fifth grade students (N = 125) in classrooms with teachers identified as culturally competent are more inclusive in their mutual friendships than students (N = 117) in classrooms with not trained teachers at the same schools. Sociometric questionnaires were used to collect data on mutual friendships. Observations of students in lunchroom settings were also conducted. Findings from the sociometric questionnaire suggest that students with culturally competent teachers, also referred to as culturally responsive teachers in the literature, have broader and more diverse social networks than students in classrooms with not trained teachers. However, in the lunchroom settings where a given student must choose a limited number of students to sit next to at the lunch table, no notable differences between the classrooms emerged. Other than training in diversity issues, teachers in the two groups were very similar.