VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Exploring school resource and teacher qualification policies, their implementation and effects on schools and students’ educational outcomes in Brazil
Keywords: Brazilian education (Brazil)
educational effectiveness (EER)
teacher qualification
Prova Brasil
mixed methods research (MMR)
educational policy
DASI model
national assessment systems
educational resources

This thesis explored how recent Brazilian educational policies focused on increasing resources and teacher qualifications are related to improving Portuguese and mathematics outcomes, and how these policy changes are perceived and experienced by teachers in schools in the north-eastern state of Paraiba. This mixed methods research project was organized into two linked phases of inquiry using a pragmatic philosophical approach, and the dynamic approach to school improvement (DASI) theoretical model as its framework. Phase I used secondary data analysis of Prova Brasil data (2007-2013) collected by the Brazilian Ministry of Education to explore how increased school resources and teacher qualification requirements may be associated with Portuguese and mathematics outcomes in grade 4/5 and grade 8/9 in the state of Paraiba (n = 358,623) using multilevel models. Using the preliminary models of Phase I to guide the development of a semi-structured interview schedule, Phase II focused on how major Brazilian educational policy changes are affecting schools by exploring the perceptions and experiences of a small purposive sample of Paraibano public school teachers (n = 16) in depth. The results of Phase II then informed and led to the further refinement of the preliminary models of Phase I as part of the way the mixed methods approach linked the quantitative and qualitative components of this study. The integration and synthesis of Phase I and Phase II results suggest that increased availability of teacher supports such as libraries, teacher access to computers and internet, photocopiers, infrastructure, and increased teacher education levels are valued by teachers and may be associated with gains in student Portuguese and mathematics outcomes. Teachers note that while resource levels have improved dramatically, inconsistencies and inefficiencies have prevented both students and teachers from fully benefitting from these changes, and additionally, that resource levels vary considerably between school districts.
Understanding angular momentum evolution of solar-age stars with K2 data
Keywords: Rotation
Gyrochronology
M67
Gaussian processes
Photometry
Open clusters

Gyrochronology, which describes the empirical relationship among stellar mass, rotation period, and age, is a potentially powerful tool for determining the ages of stars, upon which the understanding of stellar evolutionary models hangs. Well-calibrated with open clusters up to the age of ~2.5 Gyr, predictions from gyrochronology are in conflict with asteroseismic observations of older stars, and the underlying physics are poorly understood. The solar-age, open cluster M67, recently observed by the NASA K2 mission, offers the opportunity to test both gyrochronology and more physically-motivated angular momentum evolution models. Here, we seek to gain insight into the angular momentum evolution of solar-age stars through the analysis of K2 data. Using our own pipeline, we extract and process K2 light curves that encompass the inner and outer portions of M67. We describe various rotation period detection methods, focusing on the Lomb-Scargle periodogram, autocorrelation function (ACF), and Gaussian processes (GPs), before presenting our own preliminary results. Observed scatter between colour and period, combined with disagreement from the first published sets of K2 M67 periods, prompted a comprehensive round of sinusoidal injection tests to probe our absolute detection limits with K2 data using two different light curve preparation pipelines. Finding low sensitivity for 25 d, 0.1% amplitude signals and lingering systematics on the order of 25 d and greater, we use a combination of the Lomb-Scargle, ACF, and GP methods to determine our ‘final’ M67 rotation periods from K2 data. We find agreement between tidal synchronization theory and observed rotation periods for our M67 binaries. While angular momentum evolution models may perform slightly better than gyrochronology, we cannot make any conclusive statements regarding the validity of either due to the inherent scatter and small sample size. Future work at refining detection methods is needed, along with complementary data from upcoming missions such as LSST and PLATO.
Characterizing the specificity of T follicular helper cell repertoire in human peripheral blood and tonsil samples
Keywords: CD4 T cells
T follicular helper cells

T follicular helper cells (Tfh) are specialized CD4+ T cells, primarily localized in germinal centers (GCs) in secondary lymphoid organs. These cells play a key role in supporting B cell responses and selection of affinity maturated antibodies. The majority of research to date on human Tfh cells has been restricted to circulating Tfh-like cells (cTfh) from peripheral blood because of difficulties in obtaining secondary lymphoid organs. However, the relationship between Tfh cells in lymph nodes (follicular Tfh) and cTfh cells as well as their distinctiveness from the CXCR5– memory CD4+ T cell compartment are still unclear. By using donor-matched blood and tonsil samples, this project aimed to investigate the relationship between peripheral and follicular Tfh cells and also between Tfh and non-Tfh cell populations.
Phenotypic analyses characterized and identified populations of blood (Tfh-Th1, Tfh-Th2 and ROM) and tonsil (Tfh-GC, Tfh-Th1, Tfh-Th2 and ROM) cells to be compared. Targeted sequence-based analysis of the T cell receptor (TCR) showed a repertoire overlap between peripheral Tfh subsets and tonsillar Tfh cells as well as the distinction between Tfh and the rest of CD4+ memory T cells. This was also confirmed in an antigen-specific system by comparing the peptide specificity and TCR repertoires of influenza virus haemagglutinin (HA) responsive Tfh and non-Tfh cells. Tfh and non-Tfh cell clones were also generated and their avidity characterized for use in Tfh and B cell co-cultures assays and for high resolution investigation of molecule trafficking in immune synapses. Correlation between peripheral and tonsillar compartments as well as distinction between Tfh and non-Tfh cells will inform the evaluation of Tfh responses in future clinical studies.
Crossing the divided line: mathematical perception and the access problem
Keywords: Set-Theoretic Realism
Perception

Platonism in the philosophy of mathematics holds that there are mind-independent, abstract objects which are the subject of mathematical inquiry. This view faces a vexed epistemological problem: given that humans are concrete, physical creatures squarely situated in space-time, how can we come to possess knowledge of these abstract objects? Gödel is famous for suggesting that we can have "something like a perception" of some mathematical objects, and this faculty for perception is how we gain (at least some) mathematical knowledge. The positing of such a capacity for mathematical perception was met with a critical reception. However, some contemporary philosophers have attempted to develop this project, including Penelope Maddy and Jaegwon Kim, as well as Max Jones more recently. These authors have gone a good way towards making mathematical perception more scientifically plausible. However, they have done so while working with a 'numberproperty' view| the view which says that '2' refers to a property instantiated by any two objects taken together. I argue that, for various reasons, such an account is undesirable. In this thesis, I investigate whether the project of basing mathematical epistemology on 'something like perception' can be divorced from the number-property view. I conclude that it can, and demonstrate why this is. The structure of the thesis runs as follows: In Chapter 1, I introduce the access problem and the perceptual approach to answering it. In Chapter 2, I look at the number-property approach to mathematical perception, and argue that it is wanting in a few crucial respects. In Chapter 3, I look at current research in cognitive neuroscience, and find it consistent with a number-object account of mathematical perception. In Chapter 4, I formalize the access problem for the number-object view in terms of information theory, and find that it is less serious than has been previously made out.
Anomalous diffusion in artificial lipid bilayers
Keywords: Artificial lipid bilayers
Biophysics
Interferometric scattering microscopy
Microscopy
Supported lipid bilayers
iSCAT
Anomalous diffusion

Diffusion is a process essential to life. The way diffusion processes occur at, and within, the cell membrane is of particular importance for cellular signalling, transport and cellular integrity. However, within cell membranes, diffusion of lipids and proteins has been shown to be ‘anomalous’. In such cases the molecules do not conform to basic Brownian motion and instead show slower diffusion over long timescales. The cell exploits this to tightly control the movement of key molecules including receptors. Although it has been hypothesised that this is due to the complex, crowded environment found within the membrane, the physical basis for anomalous diffusion is not yet fully understood and certainly is not well controlled in current membrane mimics. In the present work, artificial lipid bilayers were used to produce platforms in which to exhibit, control and study anomalous diffusive processes. A combination of fluorescence and optimised interferometric scattering microscopies, allowed careful study of this diffusive behaviour over biologically relevant length and timescales.
Assaying the biological role of the PKD1L1-PKD2 interaction
Keywords: Micro-CT
PKD2
Situs analysis
Left-right
PKD1L1
Polycystins
Laterality
Polycystic kidney disease

Polycystins are a family of transmembrane proteins found in metazoan species that play a plethora of roles, at multiple stages, throughout the lifespan of the animal organism. In human, two loci encoding polycystins, PKD1 and PKD2, were found to be causative of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Later studies identified these two genes in other organisms, such as mouse and zebrafish, which served as models for investigating the function and regulation of the two proteins. PKD1 and PKD2 behave as interacting partners and form cation-permeable channels, which are thought to control cellular proliferation. The interaction of the two proteins was shown to involve the respective coiled-coil (CC) domains of each protein, a typical protein-protein interaction domain. Later studies then determined that PKD2 is also able to interact with other PKD2 molecules through the CC domain, as well as other domains distributed throughout the protein.
PKD2 has also been shown to play a role in left-right (L-R) asymmetry determination, in partnership with a PKD1 paralog, PKD1L1 (PKD1-like-1). The two have also been suggested to interact, presumably through their respective CC domains. The aim of the work described in this thesis is to test the differences and similarities between the interaction mechanisms of PKD1-PKD2 and PKD1L1-PKD2, in order to better understand how these molecules perform their function.
I first investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the PKD1L1-PKD2 interaction, through the use of biochemical techniques, by comparing the interaction of PKD2 WT or mutant proteins fragments with destabilized or truncated CCs. The results obtained suggest that the molecular mechanisms of interaction are likely different between the PKD1-PKD2 and PKD1L1-PKD2 complexes, in that the PKD1L1-PKD2 interaction does not appear to require the CC domain for interaction. I performed phenotypic analysis on embryos carrying truncation or insertion mutations in the region of Pkd2 encoding the CC region. The phenotypic data indicates, for the first time, a separation between the role played by PKD2 in L-R and kidney development. Furthermore, the results described in this thesis also indicate that the PKD2 CC performs distinct functions, at the molecular level, in different contexts.
Criminalization in world politics: uncovering the historical construction of international crimes
Keywords: international criminal law
piracy
constructivism
international crimes
genocide
international criminalization
aggression
international criminal norms

This thesis examines the phenomenon of international criminalization. Specifically, it explores the process by which particular acts came to be established as international crimes in international society. Drawing upon constructivist International Relations scholarship on international norms and the socially constructed nature of international relations, it argues the process of international criminalization does not simply amount to a legal process, as existing accounts from the discipline of International Law suggest. Rather, it also embraces a social process that centres on international diplomatic negotiations amongst international diplomats and legal experts within multilateral organizations.
The thesis also argues the process of international criminalization consists of two stages: firstly, the emergence of an international criminal norm; and secondly, the translation of that international criminal norm into an international legal proscription. In the first stage, an international criminal norm develops once an international social consensus is obtained amongst diplomats and legal experts on the following: firstly, that an act deserves to be recognized as having the status of an international crime; and secondly, that an act ought to assume a specific form as an international crime. In the second stage, the international criminal norm is given legal expression by being made into a formal legal proscription under international law.
This two-stage process of international criminalization is then employed to analyze the historical emergence of two international crimes, namely, genocide and aggression. Through a historically-informed constructivist approach centring on archival research and a close reading of historical documents, the thesis demonstrates the establishment of these international crimes were preceded by the development of an international criminal norm. This, in turn, offers an alternative account of the criminalization of genocide and aggression, which emphasizes what existing accounts currently neglect, namely, the social dimensions of the process of international criminalization. The thesis also examines a negative instance of international criminalization. Through a focus on piracy, it shows how piracy, contrary to some views, cannot be regarded as an international crime because it did not undergo the process of international criminalization throughout its historical development.
Infectious diseases of poverty research data management: opportunities and challenges to capacity strengthening in Africa
Keywords: Malaria
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Schistosomiasis
Data management
Low and Middle Income Countries
Capacity development
Capacity building
Data sharing

Data Management (DM) is a critical, yet often neglected step of research studies, essential to guarantee the integrity of data and validity of conclusions derived from it. To enable meaningful data use (and re-use), investigators and their institutes must therefore be equipped with appropriate DM capacity. Little empirical research so far has explored DM practices in clinical research or the barriers and enablers of their implementation, especially in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). Using a mixed-methods design, this thesis addresses this important and timely gap.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of schistosomiasis treatment efficacy studies first demonstrates the pitfalls of aggregated data for re-use, and uncovers varied data management and analysis practices within this research community. The case of schistosomiasis (a neglected, under-researched tropical disease) is contrasted with that of malaria. Through its well-established data-sharing platform, the World- Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) enables an in-depth exploration of datasets and accompanying study documentation from 108 antimalarial trials performed in Africa. This exploratory analysis shows that DM capacity development needs particularly concern comprehensive annotation and transparent handling of study datasets.
Two qualitative case studies in Dakar, Senegal and Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo complement this systematic description of DM across Africa. Through indepth interviews and observations of local practices, I examine clinical research staff's knowledge, attitudes, experiences and perceptions of DM, as well as the constraints within which they operate DM systems (DMS). Findings confirm that robust DMS depend on adequate financing and strong infrastructure, but also on an overall enabling environment where the importance of DM is recognised.
Results from this work highlight priority areas for clinical research DM capacity strengthening in LMICs, emphasising the necessity to raise awareness of DM's complexity and to establish DM as a valued professional role.
The genomics, evolution, and spread of Shigella species in Asia
Keywords: Shigella genomics
Diarrheal microbiome
Shigella evolution
Shigella epidemiology
Asia
Shigella

The bacterial genus Shigella remains a significant cause of diarrhoea in young children, particularly in tropical and developing countries. Effective clinical management and public health policy implementation require an in-depth understanding of the pathogen’s evolution and epidemiology. This thesis set out to utilize genomic and phylogenetic analyses to investigate Shigella’s life history in several settings. Firstly, I focused on S. sonnei exhibiting escalating resistance to fluoroquinolones, which are the recommended treatment for shigellosis. I showed that extant geographically dispersed fluoroquinolone resistant S. sonnei emerged as a single clone in South Asia around 2007. This clone then spread internationally, creating sustained transmissions in Southeast Asia and Europe. Secondly, examination of a vast historical Shigella sequencing dataset from Southeast Asia showed that contemporary regional Shigella populations are progenies of relatively recent introductions, mostly during the 1980s-1990s. Intraspecific clonal replacement, occurring in both S. sonnei and major S. flexneri serotypes, was frequent and linked with resistance to contemporaneously used antimicrobials. The secondary aim of this thesis was to explore the alternations of the gut microbiota in response to infectious diarrhoea in children. I found that the diarrhoeal faecal microbiome could either generally resemble or greatly diverge from that of a healthy state. Escherichia and oral bacterial commensals were found to be consistently enriched in the diarrhoeal faecal microbiome. These studies demonstrate the versatility of applying sequencing to studying diarrhoea in endemic regions, enhancing our current understanding of this public health problem.
Small-scale cyber security: mapping security requirements for IT users at home and in small organisations
Keywords: Cyber Security

Despite a long-standing assumption that developments in personal and cloud computing models would change the way we approach security, small-scale IT users (SSITUs) remain underserviced by existent cyber security models. This dissertation discusses survey results relating to the technology employed by SSITUs and their engagement with cyber security.
We determine that: SSITUs are focusing on easy-to-implement technical measures, leading to a disconnect between the security implemented and any risks identified; few SSITUs face more than basic threats or employ more than basic security measures; available resources, knowledge, prioritisation of business processes, reduced system control and a lack of threat intelligence all combine to limit the ability to make cyber security decisions; and assessing risk in SSITUs will not lead to sufficient investment to mitigate risks for risk-holding stakeholders in the supply chain.
We also found that: the system architectures employed by SSITUs are significantly different to those employed by large corporate or government entities; the architecture of a small organisation’s digital footprint has far more impact on their overall security than would be the case for a large organisation; and SSITUs do not hold sufficient influence within the supply chain to manage cyber security in their interactions with service providers.
We show that improving small-scale cyber security architectures is not simply about developing new technology — there is a need to consider technology use in context of interactions within a broader ecosystem of a supply chain, users with multiple roles and conflicts of interest, as well as the increased importance of SSITUs’ digital footprints on their security.
In order to improve the cyber security posture of the smallest organisations, security providers need a better understanding of their requirements and the role of larger stakeholders within the supply chain. They also need a business case for investing in products for this marketplace. To this end we have developed a framework of global requirements and constraints for small-scale cyber security, which should have the potential to assist in the development of products adapted for this user group.
For contrast we have provided a requirements framework developed from the perspective of the risk-holding stakeholders in the supply chain, to illustrate the differing expectations of the best-resourced stakeholders in their interactions with SSITUs. This highlights the difficulties posed by incumbent best practices, where many security measures are beyond the grasp of SSITUs and the risks some stakeholders expect to be reduced far exceed the means of the smaller organisations.
We conclude that, with a better understanding of the context within which SSITUs operate, combined with a suitable expectation of how much risk can be transferred to them within the supply chain, it is possible to improve small-scale cyber security.
Holographic approaches to strongly-interacting systems
Keywords: Holographic RG Flows
AdS/CMT
Long-range Entanglement
Resurgence and Resummation
Hydrodynamic Attractor
Landau Fermi Liquid
Holographic Zero Sound

In this thesis, we investigate some applications of the gauge/string duality to strongly-coupled quantum field theories. After a brief review of the duality and the main entries of the holographic dictionary, we explore the asymptotic nature of the gradient expansion for Bjorken flow using the fluid/gravity correspondence. We link the divergence of the series to the presence of non-perturbative quasi-normal modes and construct the hydrodynamic attractor, using Borel-Padé summation techniques. We find that different initial conditions hydrodynamise, at large values of the pressure anisotropy, before the plasma has had time to reach thermal equilibrium. We then explore the transport properties of zero sound modes in a family of holographic strange metals. We find sound modes with speed given by the conformal value and attenuation constant given by hydrodynamic form at arbitrarily low temperatures, even outside of the usual hydrodynamic regime. The sound attenuation constant as a function of temperature qualitatively resembles that of a Landau Fermi liquid zero sound, including a maximum between the collisionless and the hydrodynamic regimes. In order to get insight into these low temperature sound modes, we introduce a new quantity called ''entanglement density", which we study holographically for a range of systems and relevant deformations. We conclude that its asymptotic nature is linked to the area theorem of entanglement, and that it can be used to classify states of quantum matter according to their long-range entanglement and the violation of the area theorem.