VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The politics of compensation under trade: openness, economic geography and spending
Keywords: labour market policies
international political economy
economic geography
comparative political economy
electoral institutions
globalization

This thesis examines the conditions under which democratically elected policymakers are more likely to provide policies that compensate individuals that lose from international trade. It develops and empirically tests a theoretical framework of compensation in open economies that accounts for differences in the degree to which governments benefit losers from trade. It first develops a theory of preference formation based on economic geography, and then argues that electoral and legislative institutions jointly condition the supply of compensation. The theoretical analysis provides three sets of observable implications evaluated using micro- and macro-level data in Europe and Latin America. First, exposure to international competition increases demand for policy that compensates for the costs of trade, but this effect is more pronounced among those individuals in economically specialised and uncompetitive contexts where reemployment in the event of a shock is difficult. Second, policymakers in proportional electoral systems face weak incentives to target trade losers in geographically concentrated and uncompetitive regions. In contrast, majoritarian institutions generate incentives to increase compensation when trade losers are geographically concentrated. Another implication is that under some conditions, the presence of a strong upper house that represents regional interests dampens the provision of compensation, and the relative effect of electoral rules.
The empirical implications of the argument are tested using a multi-method research strategy that combines cross-national and case study analyses and draws on quantitative and qualitative techniques. Chapter 3 tests the micro-level implications of the model using survey data for European regions over 2002-2006. The findings indicate that regional economic specialization and regional competitiveness jointly condition the impact of trade on preferences for compensation. Chapter 4 systematically tests the extent to which the geographical concentration of trade losers conditions the effect of electoral institutions on levels of compensation. It uses panel data from 14 European countries from 1980 to 2010. The findings indicate that where trade losers are concentrated, lower district magnitude leads to more compensation. Chapters 5 and 6 conduct case studies of compensation in Spain and Argentina, both countries that underwent deep liberalisation and offer significant variation at the regional and institutional level. Chapter 5 explores preferences over compensation in selected regions in Spain and Argentina, and shows that regional specialisation and competitiveness were important in shaping levels of support for compensation. Chapter 6 examines the role of electoral institutions and legislative veto bargaining in shaping the politics of compensation in Spain and Argentina.
Analysis of the immune evasion mechanisms of varicella zoster virus
Keywords: herpesviruses
human immunology
immune evasion

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is an alpha herpes virus that causes primary infection with varicella (chicken pox), establishes latency in ganglia and may later reactivate as herpes zoster (shingles). Innate immune effectors are thought to control initial viral replication, but it is the adaptive immune system, involving T cells that mediates eventual control of viraemia and the associated clinical disease. Although both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells mediate viral clearance during acute illness, memory responses are dominated by CD4+ T cells.
We tested the hypothesis that the paucity in memory CD8+ T cell effectors is partly attributed to immune evasion mechanisms that are mounted by VZV. We confirmed that VZV readily down regulates cell surface HLA-A and HLA-C but spares HLA-B onVZV infected keratinocytes and VZV infected Mewo cells. Analysis of intracellular HLA protein expression and gene transcription showed global down regulation of all HLA subtypes. Further analysis showed that VZV inhibits IFN-γ mediated up regulation of HLA expression and augments IFN-γ mediated up regulation of HLA-E and CD71 expression.
Furthermore, we show that acute VZV infection lowers the frequency of circulating peripheral blood myeloid dendritic cells (mDC), reduces the expression of the DC activation marker HLA-DR and impairs inflammatory cytokine secretion in blood DC populations. Inhibition of DC cytokine secretion was found to be dependent on viral replication as irradiated virus resulted only in mild inhibition of IFN-α and TNF-α secretion.
Lastly, we observed that VZV infection results in increased expression of host peptides, including MHC derived leader sequences that potentially bind to HLA-E. Cell surface HLA-E is known to be a ligand for the natural killer (NK) cell inhibitory receptor CD94/ NKG2A identifying a novel mechanism of viral immune escape from NK cell surveillance.
In conclusion, our data reiterates the fact that VZV targets different aspects of antigen presentation to evade the immune system with implications for pathogenesis and approaches to improved vaccination and treatment.
Investigating the conformal  window of SU(N) gauge theories
Keywords: lattice gauge theory
technicolor
conformal window

In this thesis we are concerned with the existence of infrared fixed points and the conformal window for gauge theories with fermions. We are particularly interested in those theories that are candidates for walking technicolor. We discuss the background of technicolor and the techniques relevant to a theoretical understanding of the conformal window. Following this we extend the ideas of metric confinement and causal analyticity to theories with fermions in non-fundamental representations. We use these techniques to, respectively, provide a lower bound on the lower end of the conformal window and to provide a measure of perturbativity. As well as analytic calculations we use lattice techniques to investigate two particular candidate theories for walking technicolor - SU(2) with two adjoint fermions and with six fundamental fermions. We use Schrodinger Functional techniques to investigate the running of the theory across a wide range of scales. We measure both the running of the coupling and an estimator for the fermion mass anomalous dimension, gamma. We find that both theories are consistent with an infrared fixed-point. However, paying particular attention to our error estimates, we are unable to absolutely confirm their existence. This is a not unexpected result for SU(2) with two adjoint fermions but is rather surprising for SU(2) with only six fundamental fermions. In the region where we are consistent with a fixed point we find $0.05
Hepatocellular lipid metabolism in Hepatitis C virus infection
Keywords: virology
lipid metabolism
Hepatitis C virus

The work described in this thesis investigates the lipid metabolism of human hepatocytes in the context of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection. This includes lipoprotein signalling and cholesterol metabolism targeted analysis of gene expression as well as the influence of polyunsaturated ER targeting liposomes (PERLs) on infection.
These analyses indicate that HCV suppresses the expression of key regulators throughout the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. This effect was quantified and the influence of liposome treatment evaluated. The latter resulted in the formulation of the hypothesis that PERL treatment interfers with virus-induced abberations of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway and normalises the expression of four genes directly involved in cholesterol regulation. In addition, the lipidome of isolated lipid droplet was analysed by mass spectrometry. These data, combined with microscopy data suggest that PERLs interfere with S-palmitoylation of the HCV core protein resulting in dissociation of core from lipid droplets. This is likely to interrupt the viral assembly process, leading to inhibition of the production of infectious viral particles.
Further described here are two different yet unsuccessful approaches to fluorescently label HCV RNA for live cell microscopy studies, namely an MS2 coat protein mediated approach, and Alexa®UTP labelling.
The formal semantics of a domain-specific modelling language
Keywords: SDL
language
PLEX
Z
Java
CSP
specification
Ericsson
description
telecomunications
UML

The Specification and Description Language (SDL) was developed by the telecommunications industry as a common language for the design of asynchronous communicating systems. Designs expressed in SDL can be given a formal, mathematical interpretation to facilitate analysis and to guide correct implementation. The standard formalisation of SDL is adequate for the purposes of language definition, but is not oriented towards either analysis or implementation of specific designs. This thesis investigates alternative approaches to the formalisation of SDL. A specific, constrained version of the language is considered: one more amenable to code generation. A statebased formalisation is presented using the Z notation, together with a process-based account using the language of Communicating Sequential Processes. A more abstract, elegant solution is then proposed, in terms of a calculus of buffered systems, itself given an interpretation using Hoare and He's Unifying Theories of Programming. A case study is presented to demonstrate the practical application of the formalisations.
Empresses, religious practice and the imperial image in Ming China: the ordination scroll of Empress Zhang (1493)
Keywords: Daosim
empress
Ming dynasty
China
Zhengyi

The Ordination Scroll of Empress Zhang (1493) in the San Diego Museum of Art, a highlight at the Taoism and the Arts of China exhibition in 2000, is an unusual object among surviving visual material from Ming dynasty China (1368 – 1644). At over twenty-seven metres long, the scroll contains meticulously painted images and a detailed inscription that records the Daoist ordination of Empress Zhang (1470 – 1541), consort of the Hongzhi emperor (r. 1488 – 1505) by the Orthodox Unity institution. The event it documents, which elevates the empress into the celestial realm, would be unknown to history if not for the survival of this scroll. This dissertation is an in-depth study of the Ordination Scroll that also considers its implications for understanding the activities of empresses and their representations during the Ming dynasty.
The first three chapters of this dissertation closely examine the material, visual and textual aspects of the Ordination Scroll. The remaining two chapters situate the scroll within the broader activities of Ming empresses. A complete translation of the main inscription in the scroll is provided in the appendix.
Paternal depression and infant outcomes: the role of expressed emotion
Keywords: paternal depression
infant
expressed emotion

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine expressed emotion (EE) in depressed fathers one year postpartum. Paternal depression in the postnatal period has been shown to place children at risk for emotional and behavioural problems. However, the mechanism through which the risk is transmitted remains unidentified. EE, a measure of family environment, has been investigated in children and adolescents and has been associated to child psychopathology. EE has also been found to mediate the relationship between maternal depression and child externalizing behaviours. There exists no research however examining EE in the context of paternal depression. The primary aims of the study were: a) To examine differences in EE in depressed and non-depressed fathers and b) To investigate whether EE mediates the relationship between paternal depression and child externalizing behaviours.
Methods: EE was examined in families of one year old infants, whose fathers (n=24) had experienced an episode of major depression within the first postnatal year and were compared to families whose fathers (n=79) had no history of depression. EE was measured using the preschool version of the Five-Minute Speech Sample (pFMSS). Both parents completed the EE assessment and the externalizing scale of the Child Behavior Checklist.
Results: Depressed fathers expressed fewer positive comments towards their infants than non-depressed fathers but did not differ in other aspects of EE. Depression predicted externalizing behaviours, but the relationship was not mediated by EE. Maternal EE revealed no differences in families with a depressed and non-depressed father.
Discussion: This is the first study to examine EE in the context of paternal depression and to report depressed fathers to be less positive towards their infants. The low rates of high EE in both mothers and fathers indicates that further adaptations are necessary to the pFMSS for use with one year old infants. Even though EE did not mediate the relationship between paternal depression and child externalizing behaviours; the low rates of positivity in families of depressed fathers may negatively impact on child development and therefore warrant further exploration.
Implementing the financial provisions of the Higher Education Act (2004) – English universities in a new quasi-market
Keywords: participation in higher education
England
Higher Education
student funding
HE Act (2004)

The financial provisions of the HE Act (2004) were intended to introduce market forces into the relationship between higher education institutions in England and their full-time Home/EU undergraduates. The policies that underpinned that legislation were established by Parliamentarians during a period of intense public and political debate which accompanied the passage of the Act and now, as suppliers in a nascent quasi-market, universities are de facto responsible for their delivery. With that market beginning to stabilise, this research compares those political objectives with observed outcomes of the introduction of the Act. Primary data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with key decision-makers in six sample universities – chosen to reflect both the spread of institutions in the sector and the range of pricing policies in operation – and with those involved nationally in shaping the legislation. From this material, supported by secondary quantitative and qualitative evidence, university pricing strategies are considered, in the context of theories of marketing and of higher education management, to provide an understanding of how institutions have structured their financial offerings with the aim of targeting specific markets for applicants. Data from the sample institutions is then used to build a profile of the quasi-market that the suppliers within it are generating. Even though members of the sample have taken diverse approaches to price-setting, there are some clear consistencies that typify this emerging national market: prices are set through adjustments to bursaries, not fees; and complex financial offerings have created barriers to effective communication. Furthermore, as institutional managers analyse the effects of their own pricing strategies locally, they are observing these trends and thus, where any changes are being made, these tend towards simplification of bursary schemes and hence increasing homogeneity across the sector. However, with the (index-linked) £3000 cap which currently applies to fees, it is increasingly apparent that the current quasi-market for full-time Home/EU undergraduates at English universities has not reached its price-sensitivity point and hence, this research argues, the market is not operating fully. Therefore, while this study offers an understanding of motivations behind current institutional actions and the nature of the resulting quasi-market, it also explains why it is not feasible to extrapolate from this information to forecast how the market might work were regulatory parameters to be changed significantly.
Internationalized armed conflicts in international law
Keywords: law of armed conflict
internationalization
international law
international humanitarian law

In a world shaped by the simultaneous forces of globalization and fragmentation, very few armed conflicts remain isolated from any foreign involvement and confined to the territory of one State. On the contrary, many begin as internal conflicts that gradually acquire international characteristics of varying degree and nature. Yet, the law of armed conflict forces each such conflict into one of two legal categories: it must either be a non-international, or an international armed conflict. Accordingly, the prevailing approach in the literature is to examine what type of conflict, if any, corresponds to a certain situation in reality at a given time.
In contrast, this thesis opts for a dynamic approach, focussing on the combination of factors that transform a prima facie non-international armed conflict into an international armed conflict. It argues that four such modalities of internationalization have emerged thus far: (1) outside intervention; (2) State dissolution; (3) wars of national liberation; and (4) relative internationalization by way of recognition of belligerency, unilateral declarations, or special agreements. Since some situations feature more than two conflict parties, the thesis puts forward an autonomy-based interpretive model, which enables to determine whether such situations should be seen as a single internationalized armed conflict or a number of independent international and non-international armed conflicts.
On the basis of this comprehensive map of conflict internationalization, the thesis turns to the effects brought about by this process. It analyses two areas of the law of armed conflict considered to be regulated differently in the two respective types of conflict, namely matters of combatant status and belligerent occupation. It argues that fighters belonging to non-State armed groups participating in internationalized armed conflicts are in principle eligible for combatant status and it proposes an interpretive model for the determination whether they in fact meet the relevant criteria in practice. Finally, the thesis argues in favour of the applicability of the law of belligerent occupation to internationalized armed conflicts. To substantiate this claim, it delineates the temporal, geographical, and personal scope of the law of occupation in such conflicts.
In its totality, the thesis analyses the meaning, process, and effects of conflict internationalization and on this basis argues for a particular interpretation of the concept of internationalized armed conflict in international law.
Party system effects and the scope for corruption in modern democracies
Keywords: government accountability
party systems
political corruption
Corruption

This dissertation seeks to examine why democratic systems and electoral competition can sometimes fail to secure clean government in the interest of the electorate. The question of why voters support corrupt politicians, despite disapproving of corruption itself, is of critical importance if it is to be believed that corruption has a detrimental effect on development. The core argument of this dissertation is that party system features that improve accountability by shaping the efficacy of elections as tools to select and control politicians, play a vital and overlooked role in conditioning the scope for corruption. I conceive of governmental corruption as a classical principal-agent model, in which voters‘ relationships with their representatives are mediated by the extent to which party systems enable the electorate to select non-malfeasant politicians who seek to curb corruption and to hold accountable those who do not. This thesis purports that party systems which reduce agency problems confronting voters, by making available information regarding the quality of their incumbents and potential challengers and structurating effective, choices at the polls, decrease the latitude for governmental corruption. This thesis probes this argument through a controlled comparative analysis of corruption in 91 contemporary democracies and three nested-design case studies. The large-N analysis and the case studies of Panama, India, and Mexico offer broad support for these hypotheses.
Measurement and manipulation of quantum states of travelling light fields
Keywords: quantum tomography
optics
quantum optics
quantum information.
quantum physics

This thesis is concerned with the generation of non-classical quantum states of light, the photon-level manipulation of quantum states and the accurate tomography of both quantum states and quantum processes. In optics, quantum information can be encoded and processed in both discrete and continuous variables. Hybrid approaches combining for example homodyne detection with conditional state preparation and manipulation are gaining increasing prominence.
The development and characterization of a time-domain balanced homodyne detector (BHD) is presented. The detector has a bandwidth of 80 MHz, a signal-to-noise ratio of 14.5 dB and an efficiency of 86% making it well-suited to pulse-to-pulse measurement of quantum optical states. The BHD is employed to perform quantum state tomography (QST) of non-classical multi-photon Fock states generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. A detailed investigation of the mode-matching between the local oscillator used for homodyne detection and the generated Fock states is presented. The one-, two- and three-photon Fock states are reconstructed with a combined preparation and detection efficiency exceeding 50%.
Fock states have a number of applications in quantum state engineering, where non-classical ancilla states and conditional measurements enable photon-level manipulation of quantum states. Fock state filtration (FSF) is investigated - an example of a post-selected beam splitter which is a basic building block for many quantum state engineering protocols. A model is developed incorporating the effect of experimental imperfections. An experimental implementation of a Fock state filter is fully characterized by means of coherent-state quantum process tomography (QPT). The reconstructed process is found to be consistent with the model. The filter preferentially removes the single-photon component from an arbitrary input quantum state.
Calibration of optical detectors in the quantum regime is discussed. Quantum detector tomography (QDT) is reviewed and contrasted with a new technique for performing QST with a calibrated detector known as the fitting of data patterns (FDP). The first experimental characterization of a BHD is performed by probing the detector with phase-averaged coherent states. The FDP method is shown to be applicable to the estimation of quantum processes, where a detector response is not assumed - thus demonstrating the versatility of the FDP approach as a new method in the quantum tomography toolbox.