VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Evolution and ecomorphology of the avian foot: the morphology of the tarsometatarsus in birds and its responses to evolutionary changes in foot use
Keywords: raptoriality in telluraves
avian evolution
phylogenetic geometric morphometric analyses

Accipitriformes, Strigiformes, and Falconiformes are the three extant raptorial avian clades, most members of which use their feet to kill and carry prey. The disparate grouping of these clades with similar foot use has been hypothesised to result from retention of raptoriality from a telluravian ancestor, which has not been tested using ecomorphological methods. I evaluated the hypothesis by testing the anatomical correlates of raptoriality and other foot uses in extant birds using geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative shape analysis on first the entire tarsometatarsus bone, and then on the proximal articular surface and hypotarsus (a plantar channel through which flexor tendons run). I then mapped the ancestral states of raptoriality across the phylogeny, including fossil taxa, as well as the ancestral states of 14 other foot uses. Centroid size, body mass, flightlessness, zygodactyl digit orientation, force grip foot use, and raptoriality all had significant and independent effects on whole tarsometatarsus shape, and explain approximately 26% of tarsometatarsus shape variation. Hypotarsus shape is a statistically significant indicator of raptoriality in birds: raptorial birds tend to possess a deep and wide monosulcate hypotarsus. This relationship can be used to infer raptorial foot use in stem taxa throughout Telluraves known only from fossils. Using these inferred states in ancestral character estimation demonstrates that all extant raptorial groups have convergently evolved raptoriality, contradicting existing hypotheses of a raptorial ancestry of Telluraves as a whole. However, this does not rule out the occurrence of carnivory in the ancestor of Telluraves. Cursoriality, ability to hold down objects, digital manipulation, scansoriality, and hanging and clinging behaviour were determined to be convergent within Telluraves. Force grip foot use, walking ability, perching ability, and anisodactyl digit orientation were determined to be ancestral to Telluraves.
Female roles in Euripidean tragedy. Language, performance, conceptions
Keywords: classical philology
Euripides
characterization
female characters
Greek tragedy
linguistics
roles
role-playing

The thesis aims to offer a typology of the various ways in which tragic women conceptualize and perform their role in Euripidean tragedy, examining the wide range of female characters’ acts, attitudes, and languages as reflective of their role performances.
The thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter I focuses on the maternal attempt to persuade a son, taking Aethra in Suppliant Women and Jocasta in Phoenician Women as its main case studies. The aim of the chapter is twofold: first, it analyses the linguistic characterization of Aethra and Jocasta by using two modern linguistic approaches, namely politeness theory and speech-act theory; second, it considers how Aethra and Jocasta conceive of their private role as mothers in the face of the public demands placed on them by the civic community, using other maternal figures (Atossa in Aeschylus’ Persians, Praxithea in Euripides’ Erechtheus, and Clytemnestra in IA) as points of comparison.
While Chapter I focuses on the single role of mother, Chapter II investigates the way in which female characters negotiate the demands of different roles, paying particular attention to women holding simultaneously the roles of daughter and wife, and those of mother and wife. Two concepts prove crucial in my analysis of these negotiations, namely balance and conflict. By balance, I mean all those instances in which female characters perform one role to the benefit of another; when, that is, performing a given role helps to fulfil the demands of another. Conflict, on the other hand, refers to those situations in which the performance of two roles irremediably clashes, and where women are forced to choose which of these to prioritize.
Chapter III and IV shift to close readings of Andromache, Helen and Iphigenia in Tauris, three plays that showcase not only different roles from those explored in Chapter I and II, but also different forms of role playing. Chapter III explores the notions of role failure and role blurring, illustrating the ways in which Hermione fails to play the role of wife, and making the case that Andromache blurs the boundaries between her present role as concubine and her previous role as wife. Chapter IV investigates whether the often-remarked affinities between Helen and IT also reflect on the way Helen and Iphigenia perform their roles. Here I delve into Helen’s double identity as a real person and eidōlon, and I examine Iphigenia’s multiple roles as a virgin, priestess, and sister.
The thesis as a whole illuminates many novel aspects of tragic characterization, gender-specific language, and plot structure, provides fresh readings of individual plays and enhances our understanding of Euripides’ dramatic technique.
Practitioner researchers: can an innovative approach to professional development boost pedagogical engagement across the entire teaching body?
Keywords: MLT
MLT 2020

This dissertation begins by considering the role of a headteacher in school improvement through the lens of educational literature and determines that Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teaching staff is considered as an effective method for improving outcomes for young people across the educational spectrum. In the context of a selective, London independent school, a project enabling teachers to collaborate in small groups which cut across traditional subject divides and which extend across the entire academic year is devised. The ethics of a headteacher both leading and researching a school-improvement initiative are considered and key research questions are drawn up including whether seven “Collaborative Enquiry Groups” can promote innovation in the classroom, encourage engagement with academic literature and support even the ‘hard-to-reach’ teachers. Quantitative and qualitative data sources are deployed in order to assess the impact of the “Collaborative Enquiry Groups” which are ultimately judged to have been successful and well-received. Teachers appreciated especially the opportunity to work together and to discuss their pedagogy and a majority of staff finished the year by describing themselves as “practitioner-researchers”, although the required workload was considered burdensome by some participants. This paper adds to the field of educational research by offering a rare insight into pedagogy within an independent school and by developing a model of teacher CPD which could be extended to other schools.
Investigating the effects of procedural variation on multiplicative reasoning
Keywords: multiplicative reasoning
primary mathematics
intervention study
mathematical reasoning
distributive
scalar
variation theory
scalar reasoning
multiplication
invariant
distributive reasoning
procedural variation

Procedural variation uses varied sequences of questions to draw children's attention to the invariant critical features of a mathematical concept. This pre- and post-test intervention study investigates the effects of teaching using procedural variation on 7-8-year-old children's distributive and scalar multiplicative reasoning. The first research question examines whether Year 3 children are capable of recognising the distributive and scalar relationships between sequences of multiplication questions. The second research question considers whether teaching using procedural variation can improve Year 3 children's distributive and scalar reasoning. 184 children were recruited from six Year 3 classes and were randomly allocated to three interventions: distributive reasoning, scalar reasoning or the active control. Each intervention comprised three 30-minute sessions; the distributive and scalar reasoning groups received procedural variation teaching, while the active control focused on times tables. The pre- and post-test comprised distributive and scalar reasoning tasks and was administered immediately before and after the interventions. Many of the children were capable of using procedural variation to recognise the distributive relationships between multiplications but could not identify the scalar relationships. There were significant post-test differences between groups, with the experimental groups outperforming the control group. There was also a significant interaction between the distributive and scaling groups and their respective tasks, meaning that procedural variation teaching had a specific effect on distributive or scalar reasoning. This is the first intervention study to empirically evaluate the effects of teaching using procedural variation and it therefore makes a small yet valuable contribution to primary mathematics research.
Regularity theory in the calculus of variations and elliptic systems
Keywords: quasiconvexity
elliptic PDEs
general growth
calculus of variations

In this thesis we will investigate the regularity of critical points and minimisers of integral functionals of the form
F(w)=F(x,w,∇w)dx,
where the mappings w we consider will be vector-valued. This will be done from several different perspectives, with the goal of understanding when solutions are locally regular (of class C^{1,α} ) near a given point x0∈Ω
. This is typically done through a so-called “ε-regularity result,” which characterises the points x_0 which are regular in the above sense, by a smallness condition for a suitable excess quantity. We will investigate in three different aspects such regularity issues.
In the first part, we will consider the regularity for critical points of functionals satisfying a Legendre-Hadamard ellipticity condition. It is known by the works of Müller & Šverák [MŠ03] that critical points may be highly irregular (in particular nowhere C^1 ), however we show that regularity does hold if we assume an a-priori smallness condition of the gradient in BMO . Results will be obtained up to the boundary, and global consequences will also be explored.
In the second part, we will consider the existence and partial regularity theory for minimisers of non-autonomous quasiconvex integrands, subject to a general growth condition. By this we mean the growth of the integrand F is governed by an N -function, which we assume satisfies a ∆ 2 -condition. We will obtain a general existence theorem which will involve selecting a regularised minimising sequence along which we establish lower-semicontinuity, along with a partial regularity result. For the regularity theory we will additionally assume a non-degeneracy condition from below in the form of a ∇ 2 -condition, and we will discuss how this can be partially relaxed.
Finally in the third part, which is joint work with Lukas Koch (MPI Leipzig), we will consider relaxed minimisers for convex integrands satisfying a (p, q)-growth condition of the form
|z|p≲F(x,z)≲1+|z|q.
We will establish interior improved differentiability results in the Besov scales B
s,p
∞
, by means of a novel second order difference quotient technique. By using known ε-regularity results for minimisers in this setting, we obtain improved dimension estimates for the singular set.
A narrative review of caregiver training programmes aimed to improve child language development in low-resource African communities
Keywords: preschool
language development,
child development
reading
parent
learning

Most children in Southern and Eastern Africa are not reaching their language and literacy milestones at expected rates, hindering future development from a personal and economic perspective (UNESCO, 2019). Children learn through their interactions with their caregivers. There is potential for caregivers to positively impact their child’s development, through their daily interactions and caregiving practices. The aim of this study was to determine what caregiver training programmes have empirical evidence regarding their level of effectiveness on child language and literacy outcomes and what is the quality of these programmes. The study is a narrative review of eligible caregiver training programmes from Southern and East African contexts, which aim to improve child language or literacy outcomes. A total of 905 studies were initially found from database and grey literature searches. A total of nine studies were screened to be eligible for inclusion in this review. The results of the study showed that there are effective caregiver training programmes in Southern and East Africa which show short term effects on child language or literacy outcomes, but the results show that the research studies fail to assess the medium to long term impact of the caregiver training programmes on child language or literacy outcomes. The results show that eligible training programmes do not align with all the optimal components of design and implementation, which implies that there is potential for caregiver training programmes to improve by increasing intensity, improving supervision, utilizing effective teaching strategies, and ensuring deep structural sensitivity of the programme is achieved.
Management of dengue shock syndrome: evaluating fluid resuscitation strategies and novel monitoring systems to improve outcomes

Keywords: bio-impedance
fluid resuscitation
compensatory reserve index
shock
echocardiography
non-invasive monitoring
reshock
dengue
pulse waveform

Dengue is the most significant mosquito-borne viral infection in humans. Dengue shock syndrome (DSS) is one of the dengue complications and can be fatal if not recognized and treated promptly. The management of DSS relies mainly on judicious fluid replacement and frequent haemodynamic assessments. Optimal fluid therapy is yet to be defined due to limited evidence. Current methods for monitoring patients with DSS are also unreliable and less sensitive. My thesis aimed to review different fluid resuscitation strategies currently used for paediatric DSS across dengue-endemic countries in Asia, and assess the clinical utility of several novel non-invasive monitoring devices in children with DSS.
First, I performed a systematic review of randomised controlled trials on fluid resuscitation for children with DSS or septic shock. I collected retrospective data on fluid management in 7 hospitals in Asia anonymously and compared the outcomes of different fluid strategies. Second, I used prospective data from 103 severe dengue patients admitted to ICU and investigated the ability of the Compensatory Reserve Index (CRI) to predict recurrent shock (reshock). Finally, I conducted a prospective observational study on 92 children with DSS to describe the fluid response and trajectories of intravascular volume changes during fluid resuscitation using point of care ultrasound and a bioimpedance device (NICaS).
I demonstrated the high heterogeneity of published studies on fluid resuscitation in children could not provide strong recommendations on fluid types and fluid rates for both DSS and septic shock. There was a wide variation of fluid management for DSS across the Asian regions. The use of colloid or crystalloid in the first 2-hour of resuscitation provided similar outcomes; the prolonged use of synthetic colloids for more than 4 hours reduced the reshock occurrence but increased significantly respiratory compromise. I have demonstrated the utility of CRI in predicting reshock, as well as showing the reliability of continuous measurements derived from NICaS in intravascular volume monitoring compared to echocardiography.
Overall, my work has added to the overall body of evidence of fluid management for DSS patients and the utility of different monitoring tools. This may help pave the way for personalised fluid trials for DSS management in the future.
Intentionality and mental events
Keywords: mental events
philosophy
intentionality
object

Of the many groups of problems falling under the genral heading "intentionality" three will be discussed in this thesis - firstly, that nest of problems surrounding the various criteria for intentional sentences, and with the thesis that interntionality is the mark of psychological sentences; secondly, those views and queries surrounding the notion of an intentional object, and particularly the problems concerning the nature and definition of such objects; and thirdly the more traditional area, viz. problems concerning the account which is to be given of the relation between a mental event or activity and its object.
Continued in thesis ...
Monetary policy, financial stability, and default in advanced and emerging marketing economies
Keywords: financial stability
corporate credit risk
capital flows
emerging market economies
default
monetary policy trade-off
zero lower bound

This thesis consists of three self-contained essays on monetary policy, financial stability, and default risk, which are applied in the context of Advanced Economies (AEs) and Emerging Market Economies (EMEs). Chapter 1 explores whether concerns for financial stability are a justification for Euro Area monetary policy to lift off the zero lower bound (ZLB) on nominal interest rates. Through the lens of an optimizing central bank, I study the consequences of a departure from the ZLB in a general equilibrium model with banks, collateral constraints, and default. Debt-deflationary forces of default sharpen the policy trade-off to central banks as they erode bank profitability and depress aggregate demand. My results thus support the argument that central banks ought to internalize the externality of their monetary policy decision on financial stability. Chapter 2 investigates the role of financial stability for monetary policy in EMEs, which are notoriously vulnerable to external shocks. Using the Mexican economy as a laboratory, I build a small open economy DSGE model with banks and firm default. I study whether a “leaning against the wind” policy can mitigate the effects of an external funding shock to the banking sector. I find that an interest rate rule augmented by a measure of expected default risk and the regulatory cost of bank capital outperforms conventional interest rate rules. This is because monetary policy takes into account financial amplification of firm default via banks’ balance sheets, which firms do not internalize. Chapter 3 uncovers whether credit risks that emanate from the corporate sector in EMEs can causally explain international capital flows. Using granular data on the universe of corporate bonds issued by non-financial firms in a large set of EMEs, I extract idiosyncratic shocks to large corporate borrowers. These shocks allow me to construct “Granular Instrumental Variables” (GIV) to identify this causal relationship. I show that corporate credit risk acts as a powerful amplifier of business cycle fluctuations in EMEs above and beyond global and sovereign risk. This thesis thus provides a novel policy implication: the interaction of private default and liquidity frictions can create important pecuniary externalities that, beyond the use of prudential regulatory measures, ought to be taken into account by monetary policy makers.
Investigating the effects of cGAS-STING-dependent innate immune responses in BRCA2-deficient cells

Keywords: STING agonists
PARPi
Genomic Instability
Cancer
Talazoparib
BRCA2
DMXAA

Tumours with BRCA2 gene deficiency, retain the ability to proliferate, despite the genomic instability resulting from DNA damage accumulation. These tumours can be targeted with Poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), which increase the susceptibility of BRCA2-mutated tumours to DNA damaging agents. However, in spite of the therapeutic benefits and low toxicity in patients, PARPi resistance remains a clinical challenge. Therefore, improved approaches for targeting BRCA2-mutated tumours are being sought to improve patient outcomes. Previously, BRCA2 depletion was shown to activate the cGAS-STING-dependent innate immune responses which have the potential to promote antitumour immunity. In this project, we set out to investigate the effects of stimulating the cGAS-STING-dependent innate immune responses using the STING agonist DMXAA in two BRCA2-deficient cell models. DMXAA treatment activated the cGAS-STING signalling pathway in only one of the BRCA2-deficient cell models, characterised by an increase in IRF3 phosphorylation, but this did not lead to an increase in DNA damage. PARPi treatment is known to activate the cGAS-STING signalling pathway and induce DNA damage in BRCA2-deficient cells. Therefore, we co-treated BRCA2-deficient cells with the PARPi Talazoparib and DMXAA in order to activate STING mediated innate immune responses and increase DNA damage. The combination treatment led to activation of cGAS-STING signalling, upregulation of interferon-stimulated genes and an increase in DNA damage in both cell models. Finally, we investigated the effect of combining DMXXA and Talazoparib on the viability of BRCA2-deficient cells. However, DMXAA did not lead to increased sensitivity of the BRCA2-deficient cells to Talazoparib. Whilst these are preliminary results, they suggest that the effect of STING agonists may vary depending on cell type and they may not have the predicted efficacy in BRCA2-deficient cells.
Understanding the experiences and needs of parents with psychosis and those of their families
Keywords: quantitative
qualitative
experience sampling methodology
psychosis
parenting
parental mental illness

The aim of this thesis is to improve understanding of the experiences and needs of parents with psychosis and those of their families. Chapter 1 describes the current literature and establishes that research to date has largely focused on parents with affective disorders, without much attention given explicitly to parents with psychosis.
Using anonymised patient records in secondary care, Chapter 2 shows that over a third of patients with psychosis are parents but many dependants are not accurately recorded in patients’ clinical notes. A binomial regression indicated that parenthood was associated with being female, older, and having ever been married. A survival analysis found that smoking, being single and a diagnosis indicating affective symptoms were all associated with relapse in parents with psychosis.
Chapter 3 uses qualitative methods to investigate families’ needs in more depth. Some of the themes generated in these analyses highlight difficulties in communicating about psychosis, parents’ need to protect their children, and the bidirectional relationship between stress from parenting and psychotic symptoms. Chapter 4 investigates this relationship between parenting stress and psychosis using intensive longitudinal sampling. Multi-level modelling showed a significant relationship between parenting stress and psychosis in both directions, with negative affect identified as an important mediator.
Chapter 5 investigates needs from a service-level perspective using focus groups with mental health professionals. These professionals highlighted how the needs of parents with psychosis depend on symptom severity and the availability of social support. Chapter 6 uses two systematic reviews to establish what interventions are available for parents with psychosis and their families. The results of these reviews suggest that no intervention has been tailored specifically to meet the needs of parents with psychosis, but that there is a growing evidence-base of interventions for parents with mental illness that may benefit parents with psychosis.
Chapter 7 summarises the needs and experiences of parents with psychosis and their families. It highlights that their needs are complex and dependent on many factors, including symptom severity, gender, and the family’s wider environment. It concludes by discussing interventions and supports that could address these needs.