VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Minimally invasive autopsy - navigating uncertainties of death in the Global South
Keywords: global health
socio-cultural
minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS)
pathology
philantrocapitalism
autopsy
technology
minimally invasive autopsy (MIA)
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
uncertainty
death
post-mortem
ethics
postmortem
cause of death

In recent years, global health practitioners and policy-makers have been confronted with the complex challenge of identifying and quantifying the causes of death of the world’s poorest people. In order to address this cause-of-death uncertainty and to minimise longstanding sensitivities and reservations about full autopsies in the Global South, funding bodies such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have advocated minimally invasive autopsies (MIA) as an alternative.
MIA is a technology that involves using hollow needles to collect samples from key bodily organs. It has the potential to be more acceptable and less invasive than a full autopsy, which requires opening the cadaver. While the global development and introduction of MIA is growing, little attention has been paid to the ethical implications of its introduction in the Global South.
This DPhil project aimed to provide a greater understanding of the various motivations underlying, barriers to, and debates about the development and implementation of MIA technology in the Global South. These include the various social, ethical, and political implications of this technology.
In this thesis, empirical data that I collected in a range of contexts and countries is used to demonstrate that a core problem exists in current understandings of death in global health. Death is unavoidable; this is certain. However, at global and national levels, persistent uncertainty surrounds the exact numbers of deaths occurring and the causes of these individual deaths. The findings demonstrate the complexities in closing this information gap and shows a plurality of uncertainties underlying and contributing to the above-mentioned issue.
I show that while MIA technology has been introduced as a solution to this enduring cause-of-death uncertainty, the development and deployment of technologies such as these always constitute interventions in complex social and moral worlds, and, in this respect, are both solutions to and causes of new problems. Therefore, MIA inevitably creates new kinds of uncertainties that need to be addressed. I deconstruct the ways in which these different dimensions and levels of uncertainties have been articulated, experienced, and approached, and the ways the uncertainties relate to each other. Finally, I argue that given the radical uncertainty of the future, the full impact of MIA technology is unknown.
Study of a highly boosted Higgs boson decaying to b-jets final states with the ATLAS experiment at CERN
Keywords: Higgs Boson

The observation of the decay of the Higgs boson to a b ̄b pair in 2018 confirmed the Yukawa interaction and provided the first measurement of a Yukawa coupling to down-type quarks.
The most sensitive channel in the H → b ̄b measurement is given by the associated Higgs boson production with a vector boson V decaying leptonically.
The main focus is now the measurement of the Higgs boson production cross section as a function of its transverse momentum (pT ). This study is motivated by a wide range of Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) theories predicting an enhancement of V H(H → b ̄b) events at high transverse momentum with respect to the SM expectations. At such high energy regimes, the Higgs boson is highly Lorentz-boosted and the H → b ̄b de- cay is reconstructed in the detector as a single object with a two-prong substructure.
This thesis describes the measurement of V H(H → b ̄b) in the boosted regime performed inclusively, as well as in bins of the vector boson trans- verse momentum, for pVT ∈ [250,400[ GeV and pVT ∈ [400,∞[ GeV. The interpretation of these measurements using the Effective Field Theory (EFT) framework is also discussed. The results are based on the full LHC Run 2 dataset collected by the ATLAS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. A very important component of this study is the correct identification of b-jets. A new calibration of the b-jet tagging algorithm at very high transverse momentum, which reduced the uncertainties for high-pT b-jets by 50%, is also included.
Photocatalytic generation of free radicals from furan
Keywords: Photochemistry
Organic Chemistry
Radicals
Total Synthesis
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid

This thesis concerns the development of a stannane-free method for generating reactive free radicals adjacent to a 2,5-disubstituted furan, the development of a furan oxidation method, and the total synthesis of the legonmycins, bacterial pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
The synthetic utility of free radicals, and the effectiveness of organotin compounds in generating them, are discussed in Chapter 1, as are the reasons for avoiding organotin contamination of synthetic compounds, established means for doing so, and photoredox catalysis. The synthesis of model substrates for photoredox-mediated hydrogen abstraction from 2,5-disubstituted furans is described in Chapter 2. Visible light-mediated cyclisation did not occur as intended, but the use of a polyoxometalate cluster and ultraviolet light to effect the same transformation is also described. Chapter 3 concerns the synthesis of precursors to tin-mediated generation of free radicals adjacent to furan, the behaviour of those radicals once formed, and the implications for the work described in Chapter 4. A side reaction was observed when carrying out the work described in Chapter 2; Chapter 4 describes the development of this into a method for complete and efficient conversion of furans into 2-ene-1,4-dicarbonyls, complementing existing methods for the same transformation. Chapter 5 describes abortive routes for the total synthesis of legonmycin A, via the methodology described in Chapter 4 and via nitrile activation upon acylation, and a successful route based on an existing synthesis of the jenamidines, incorporating an iodine-catalysed hydroxylation with O2 as the terminal oxidant. This transformation proved problematic in previous syntheses of similar structures.
Discovery of jets launched by classical nova eruptions
Keywords: transient
classical nova
astrophysics

Classical novae are stellar explosions that occur on the surface of white dwarfs in close binary systems. This thesis presents time-domain spec- troscopy of four recent eruptions in the Milky Way, carried out by the Global Jet Watch telescopes. Careful analysis of these observations re- veals the presence of a circumbinary disc around classical nova V906 Car following its cataclysmic event in March 2018. Its existence may provide an answer to the long-standing problem of explaining the white dwarf mass distribution. This thesis also presents the discovery of line-emitting jets and an accre- tion disc in classical nova YZ Reticuli, using sustained follow-up spec- troscopy commencing soon after the eruption in July 2020 and lasting several months. A qualitatively similar spectral signature is also observed for classical nova V6568 Sgr, hinting that jets may be a feature of classical novae more generally than previously thought. The same jets and accretion disc model is subsequently applied to the remaining two classical novae in the Global Jet Watch archive, V5668 Sgr and V906 Car, which exhibit the same behaviour. In the case of V5668 Sgr, the jets are found to persist for at least 2000 days after the eruption in March 2015. This thesis then suggests future imaging measurements that could be obtained using current instrumentation for spatially-resolved spectroscopy, which would elucidate further properties of nova jets like those discovered in all four classical novae observed by the Global Jet Watch. This thesis also uses Global Jet Watch time-lapse spectroscopy on classical novae V906 Car and V5668 Sgr to tightly constrain (to within hundreds of seconds) the duration of certain phases and their transitions that take place in the immediate aftermath of these recent eruptions.
Regulatory capacity and knowledge brokers in the decarbonisation of electricity systems
Keywords: knowledge brokers
United Kingdom
renewable energy
decarbonisation
China
network analysis
Mexico
Chile
regulatory capacity

Many governments aim to rapidly expand the share of wind and solar energy in electricity generation as part of broader efforts to mitigate climate change. Despite being increasingly cost competitive, their integration into electricity systems requires adjusting a governance system intended for other technologies. This study contends that in order to better address technical and political challenges, regulators need to access scarce specialist knowledge. Regulators’ access to such knowledge is dependent on brokerage, the strategic intermediation of actors in the industry, which can happen through different organisational arrangements. Power-generator and grid companies broker knowledge by providing expertise in ways that advance their own interests; whether that interest is to halt decarbonisation or capture the largest possible share of a growing renewable energy market. Independent system operators and expert organisations are alternatives for knowledge brokering that can be crucial to successful regulatory innovations. This research explores the mechanisms and significance of knowledge brokerage through the use of process tracing, network analysis and the controlled comparison of two liberalised electricity systems –Chile and the UK– and two state dominated systems –China and Mexico. Each pairwise comparison shows, independently, that knowledge brokers have become increasingly important in devising and deploying new market governance instruments that are relevant to renewable energy deployment. In liberal markets this is the result of a need to coordinate investment and create new market products. In state-dominated markets this is the result of a pursue to fragment and balance the influence of the state-owned grid and generation companies. The study shows that independent system operators and expert organisations can become substitutes, in terms of brokering specialised knowledge, but only as long as expert organisations are actively integrated in the regulatory process through delegation of crucial functions. This research slows programmatic alternative for developing regulatory capacity through building on the existing and potential competence of expert organisations and the system operator that exist in every electricity system.
Digital forensic investigation of IoT devices: tools and methods
Keywords: Smart Home
Consumer
Definitions
IoT
Digital Forensic Tools
Network

Consumer IoT devices are becoming omnipresent in our homes, traces generated by their continuous interactions creating a rich source of evidence, useful to forensic investigations in various types of oﬀences. However, existing research in IoT forensics has mainly focused on theoretical frameworks, as current tools and methods do not support newer IoT devices. In this thesis, we focused on developing practical generic solutions to improve the IoT forensic investigative process.
As a ﬁrst step, we undertook an online survey of the digital forensic community (n = 70) on their interpretation of a deﬁnition for IoT forensics and a roadmap for future research. We developed a uniﬁed understanding of the various terms used and drew a deﬁnite conclusion about the IoT technology and its subdomains in IoT forensics. Participants highlighted that research should focus on IoT forensic tools and data acquisition. As a result, we developed a generic acquisition method for smart healthcare devices and leveraged the use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). We demonstrated the feasibility of this method by acquiring health-related traces from smart healthcare devices and the usefulness of these traces for forensic investigations e.g., establishing a historical proﬁle of the user’s health.
We dissected the lack of IoT forensic tool development further, through a systematic literature review of ∼ 800 articles on the shortcomings of research-based digital forensic tools. We found the requirement for an IoT device identiﬁcation approach. Consequently, we proposed a generic identiﬁcation approach that used machine learning and unique features extracted from the network packet. This created a unique “ﬁngerprint”, so forensic investigators can uniquely identify the device-type on the network without relying on traditional identiﬁers. Drawing upon ﬁndings from our previous studies, we developed and evaluated an automated IoT network analysis tool. Through a study of 32 IoT consumer devices, we analysed the network traﬃc metadata and showed its usefulness for forensic investigations. The results showed many devices used encryption, but smart cameras and smart healthcare devices were prone to sending unencrypted content. Finally, we found most IoT traﬃc was being sent to the U.S.
Overall, our research has novelty, in that we developed an identiﬁcation approach, acquisition method and a network analysis tool that can obtain traces from multiple consumer IoT devices. As the IoT expands, it is crucial we develop tools that can support the new devices coming on the market.
Variation in size and reproduction in Trinidadian guppies: ecological and evolutionary causes and effects
Keywords: reproductive rates
eco-evolutionary dynamics
life history evolution
Poecilia reticulata
body size
quantitative genetics
evolutionary ecology

Body size and reproductive rates are key characteristics of any organism. Size and reproduction are strongly influenced by environmental conditions, but individuals also influences their environment. The resulting feedback loop can generate ecological and evolutionary dynamics. In this thesis, I explore the causes and consequences of intraspecific variation in size and reproduction. Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are an ideal system for this purpose. Natural populations of guppies have evolved two distinct ecotypes that differ in terms of the sizes at which they are born and reach maturity, and in their reproductive rates. These ecotypes are adapted to different environments that vary in the intensity of predation risk, and in the availability of food. In this thesis, I use a combination of genetic, phenotypic, and environmental data from natural populations, experimental introductions, and controlled laboratory experiments. To better understand the causes and consequences of variation in body size and reproduction, I apply and test methods from three distinct approaches: quantitative genetics, dynamic energy budget theory, and life history theory. I quantify evolutionary change in a wild populations, and show that phenotypic change is masked by environmental degradation. I demonstrate why predictions of evolution can fail when environments change over time. I show how size and reproduction are linked through energetic assimilation, and demonstrate that smaller guppies are resource-limited in the wild. Using dynamic energy budget theory, I identify consistent differences in energetic allocation strategies between guppy ecotypes. Finally, I construct evolutionarily-explicit population simulations, where ecological and evolutionary dynamics are emergent properties of individual rates of growth, survival, and reproduction. I show that size-dependent competitive ability determines the outcome of life-history evolution in these simulations. My thesis presents solutions to problems relevant to many studies of the eco-evolutionary dynamics of wild populations.
Platform governance: the transnational politics of online content regulation
Keywords: platform regulation
digital policy
platform governance
transnational regulatory politics
online content regulation

Billions of people around the world use services like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube every day to access information, engage in conversation, and stay in touch with friends and family. These hugely profitable and popular platforms for user-generated content, operated by large multinational technology companies, have in the past decade created complex systems of private regulatory standards that govern online behaviour and have a significant impact on the social, cultural, and political lives of their customers around the world. Where these systems --- which can be understood by International Relations (IR) scholars as an expression of private authority in global politics --- were once tacitly accepted or ignored by state actors, governments have in recent years increasingly sought to shape the rules and practices deployed by platform companies through various strategies. In some cases, governments have sought to `take back control' and re-assert state authority over this privately-managed domain, while in others they have opted rather to work directly with companies in more collaborative fashion. What explains the variation in how governments intervene in platform governance?
The thesis argues that how governments seek to shape, challenge, or contest private platform rule-making can be understood as either fitting in within a collaborative or a contested strategy. Building upon literatures from transnational regulatory politics, the thesis explains variation between these two strategies as the result of an interplay between three factors: domestic demand for change, the ability to supply that change (regulatory capacity and transnational or domestic institutional constraints on that capacity), and normative understandings of an actor's appropriate degree of policy intervention. The plausibility of the argument is demonstrated empirically through three qualitative case studies of key regulatory episodes (the German NetzDG, the Australian AVM Act, and New Zealand’s Christchurch Call) in which different governments have deployed different strategies to affect platform rule-making.
Understanding freshwater changes in the Arctic ocean
Keywords: physical oceanography
sea ice
Arctic ocean
freshwater
climate

By enforcing a strong stratification at the ocean surface, freshwater is a key determiner of the physical and biogeochemical dynamics of the Arctic Ocean. In addition, fluxes of Arctic freshwater to the Atlantic have the potential to impact the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, with global implications for climate. The Arctic Ocean is understood to be freshening, but our grasp of its freshwater variability---in time and space---is hampered by the short duration and sparsity of observations.
We seek to explore the causes of recent changes in Arctic liquid freshwater content (FWC) and interpret the processes underpinning its variability on Arctic-wide and regional scales. We focus on the interactions between wind patterns, sea ice dynamics and thermodynamics, and FWC.
Through the application of linear response theory to a suite of coupled climate models, we demonstrate that Arctic FWC has a decadal memory of wind forcing, and that recent changes in FWC can be largely explained by variability in the leading modes of atmospheric circulation. Using forced ice-ocean model experiments, we show that---via dynamic thinning of sea ice in the interior Arctic basins---Fram Strait sea ice export can impact seasonal ice growth and melt, in a manner sensitive to wind forcing and ice dynamics. By constructing a linear model using data from a large ensemble of climate model simulations, we determine controls on forced changes in ice production in the Kara and Laptev seas with anthropogenic climate change, and highlight a pivotal role for September sea ice area changes. Relying on a series of coordinated model experiments, we demonstrate that sea ice import into the Beaufort gyre influences wind-driven FWC accumulation/flushing.
Our results emphasise the central importance of winds in controlling Arctic FWC variability, and elucidate significant roles for wind-driven sea ice dynamics in affecting liquid FWC via the hermodynamic growth and melt of sea ice.
Investigation of the cytoplasmic pool of centriolar and centrosomal proteins
Keywords: centrosome
FCS
microscopy
centriole
drosophila

How cells control the size and number of their organelles is largely unclear. In the Raff laboratory, we study centriole and centrosome biogenesis to investigate how their assembly is dynamically regulated. Centrioles are barrel-shaped cell organelles that, in preparation for mitosis, can give rise to the centrosome, an amorphous, protein-dense structure. In Drosophila, only a small number of proteins are essential for the formation of both organelles: centrioles require the five core duplication proteins Asl, Plk4, Ana2, Sas-6 and Sas-4, and the underlying centrosomal scaffold is formed by an interplay of Polo, Spd-2, and Cnn. By using the early Drosophila embryo as a model system, we can simultaneously observe the incorporation dynamics of fluorescently tagged proteins of interest at a large number of centrioles and centrosomes. Ultimately, we would like to mathematically model both assembly processes, but we lack information regarding how the cytoplasmic pool of their individual building blocks behaves during organelle formation. I therefore optimised and developed novel spectroscopy techniques for the early Drosophila embryo, including Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, Fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy, and Peak counting spectroscopy. I then used these techniques to assess the biophysical properties of the embryo’s syncytial cytoplasm and conducted a systematic characterisation of the core proteins’ cytoplasmic concentration, diffusion dynamic, and average cytoplasmic stoichiometry.
The long apprenticeship: Rodrigo Borgia as Papal Vice-Chancellor, 1457-1492
Keywords: Papacy
history of the Papacy
Renaissance Italy
Alexander VI (1431-1503)
Borgias
Renaissance Rome
Renaissance
the Borgia family

The initial purpose of this thesis was to examine Rodrigo Borgia (1431–1503) as vice–chancellor of the Church, head of the Apostolic Chancery. The Chancery was the one of the most important departments of the Roman Curia, responsible for the production of a multitude of papal documents. Borgia held the office of vice–chancellor from 1457 until his papal election in 1492, and the Chancery was housed in his palace, known as the Cancelleria. However, as the project progressed, it became clear that this objective was too narrow: the Chancery produced a wealth of documents, but they did not reflect the personal input of the vice–chancellor. Furthermore, Borgia was not a man of letters and left no record of his activities or even much in the way of personal correspondence. It was not possible to make a hard and fast division between his position as vice–chancellor and other aspects of his life as a cardinal, participating in the papal liturgy, advising the pope on matters of policy, being sent on legation, acting as a patron to clients within and beyond his household. Thus, the project evolved into a more rounded assessment of Borgia’s career between 1456, when he was made a cardinal, and his papal election in 1492. It asks why, given the notoriety of his private life, did all the other cardinals consider him suitable to be pope, the vicar of Christ? In order to answer that question, the thesis examines Borgia’s dealings with five popes – Calixtus III, Pius II, Paul II, Sixtus IV and Innocent VIII – and with the cardinals they created, the men who actually voted for him. One thing that distinguished Borgia from most of his fellow cardinals and from all the other electors in 1492 was his Spanish birth. He remained loyal to his homeland throughout his career, cultivating the monarchs of Aragon and Castile, sponsoring the monarchs’ candidates to vacant benefices, and acting as a patron to Spaniards in Rome, whether or not they had positions in the Chancery. The final chapter of the thesis is a lengthy historiographical survey relating to Borgia’s career before 1492, distinguishing his heroic status in Spain from the ‘black legend’ that developed in Italy and spread elsewhere.