VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Digging Deeper: Global Coal Prices and Industrial Growth, 1840-1960
Keywords: wage to coal price ratio
industrial growth
Historical coal prices
Price convergence

This thesis investigates to what extent coal prices differed globally during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and whether those differences mattered for economic development. The backbone of my empirical investigation is a new dataset of annual coal prices spanning the years 1840 to 1960 for, on average, over 30 globally distributed ports. This dataset is complemented by pithead prices for all major coal-producing countries. My analysis includes all major steam coals and I eliminate quality differences by accounting for differences in their carbon content.
I construct my argument by examining two major drivers of differences in coal prices. First, I examine trade costs for Welsh steam coals, which were shipped to most regions of the world. Secondly, I estimate the effect of the spread of coal mining, for example to India, on local coal prices by initating competition between coals from different origins. While trade costs declined most during the late nineteenth century, the spread of coal mining led to continued price convergence in the interwar period. And yet, global coal price differences remained significant, especially between producing and importing countries.
Arguably, my most interesting finding is on the effect of those coal price differences. More specifically, I calculate the ratio of coal prices to wages, and explore whether countries where this ratio was closer to the British ratio were in the best position to use the most advanced steam technology. My econometric results indeed show that countries with a low coal price/wage ratio experienced higher manufacturing output growth during the period 1870 to 1940. This finding of my thesis highlights one potential way in which different levels of coal prices may have contributed to varying degrees of technology adoption between countries and ultimately economic growth.
Templated self-assembly of the bacterial flagellar motor torque ring in vitro
Keywords: DNA nanotechnology
Bacterial Flagella Motor

The Bacterial Flagellar Motor is an ion-driven rotary motor employed by many bacteria for motility and surface sensing, and a model system for the self-assembly and regulation of large protein complexes.
Early in motor biogenesis a ring of the integral membrane protein FliF templates the cytoplasmic assembly of FliG, which subsequently templates transient incorporation of FliM1:FliN3 subunits. FliG, FliM and FliN collectively comprise the C-ring: site of torque generation and directional switching. Switching is regulated by binding of CheY-P to FliM1:FliN3, propagating a co-operative conformational change throughout the entire C-ring. The molecular details of C-ring structure, assembly and dynamics are unclear.
Averaged cryo-EM structures of purified motors feature a curious symmetry mismatch between the FliF ring (~26-fold) and C-ring (~34-fold), while in vivo fluorescence shows a variation in FliM1:FliN3 population with rotation direction that is not resolved in the EM structures. The stoichiometries of FliG/M/N are all disputed, and cannot yet be measured accurately in vivo. More powerful techniques are available in vitro, but it is unclear whether dynamic structural features of the motor survive purification.
Therefore, we aspire to assemble a C-ring in vitro as a platform for in vitro study. Furthermore, by substituting the difficult-to-reconstitute FliF template with a controllable DNA-origami mimic, we envisage studying self-assembly from the bottom up through template remodelling: a novel concept in the study of protein self-assembly.
This thesis describes the development of linear DNA templates mimicking short fragments of the FliF ring. FliG arrangement on these templates is specified by DNA sequence design, and can be quantified with single-molecule fluorescence and native gel electrophoresis. The methods developed here will allow testing of the FliG domain-swap polymerization model as a mechanistic explanation for the symmetry mismatch, and lay the foundations for in vitro construction of a complete C-ring.
The shape of things to come: global order and democracy in 1940s international thought
Keywords: Democratic theory
Global order
Cosmopolitanism
Postwar order
Democratic world order
1940s international thought
Internationalism
Liberal world order
Wilsonianism
Historical international relations
Democracy

This thesis examines the role of democracy in British, French and American visions of global order in the 1940s. It argues that ‘democracy’ in a global context did not reflect ‘Wilsonian’ or ‘Cosmopolitan’ dreams, nor did it refer to the questions of state representation and institutional accountability that dominate contemporary debates. Instead, it shows that building a ‘democratic’ global order in the 1940s meant, above all, an attempt to address the challenge of democratic modernity, summarised by Karl Polanyi in 1944 as the search for ‘freedom in a complex society’, in the new global environment of the mid-century. This challenge was composed of five core concerns, ranging from the protection of the individual from the modern state and the transformation of democratic participation, to the use of expert planning and modern technology to secure economic justice. Achieving a balance between these competing and at times contradictory imperatives was seen as the key to securing a new democratic order that could resist the temptations of nationalism and totalitarianism and secure peace. Crucially, it was only through the structures of a new global order that, internationalists argued, there could be any chance of success. The task was not an easy one, and the historical investigation shows how the choices and trade-offs internationalists made in relation to these imperatives entailed costs in terms of inclusivity, participation and even rights within visions of democratic global order.
The thesis has both historical and conceptual goals. First, it recovers important ideas about global order that have been largely written out of the history of this period by taking the language of democracy in world order debates seriously and understanding these visions in context. Conceptually, its aim is to contest and transform how we think about global order and democracy in the history of international thought and in the present day. Instead of Cosmopolitan, Wilsonian, liberal or other normative blueprints for a democratic world order, the conclusion argues that we should, following the example of the 1940s, reconceptualise the relationship between global order and democracy today in relation to the persistent dilemmas of democratic modernity. In a global context, these continue to have interlocking domestic and international dimensions and, more importantly, continue to require choices that entail normatively contestable costs in the construction of a democratic global order. Only then, it argues, will it be possible to think about how these shortcomings can be mitigated and whether and what kind of democratic order we want to pursue at all.
Robust and stochastic MPC of uncertain-parameter systems
Keywords: Stochastic
Robust
Optimal
Tube MPC
Convex
Control
Receding-horizon
Constraints
MPC
Optimisation

Constraint handling is difficult in model predictive control (MPC) of linear differential inclusions (LDIs) and linear parameter varying (LPV) systems. The designer is faced with a choice of using conservative bounds that may give poor performance, or accurate ones that require heavy online computation. This thesis presents a framework to achieve a more flexible trade-off between these two extremes by using a state tube, a sequence of parametrised polyhedra that is guaranteed to contain the future state.
To define controllers using a tube, one must ensure that the polyhedra are a sub-set of the region defined by constraints. Necessary and sufficient conditions for these subset relations follow from duality theory, and it is possible to apply these conditions to constrain predicted system states and inputs with only a little conservatism. This leads to a general method of MPC design for uncertain-parameter systems. The resulting controllers have strong theoretical properties, can be implemented using standard algorithms and outperform existing techniques.
Crucially, the online optimisation used in the controller is a convex problem with a number of constraints and variables that increases only linearly with the length of the prediction horizon. This holds true for both LDI and LPV systems. For the latter it is possible to optimise over a class of gain-scheduled control policies to improve performance, with a similar linear increase in problem size.
The framework extends to stochastic LDIs with chance constraints, for which there are efficient suboptimal methods using online sampling. Sample approximations of chance constraint-admissible sets are generally not positively invariant, which motivates the novel concept of ‘sample-admissible’ sets with this property to ensure recursive feasibility when using sampling methods. The thesis concludes by introducing a simple, convex alternative to chance-constrained MPC that applies a robust bound to the time average of constraint violations in closed-loop.
Exploring and classifying the transient radio sky
Keywords: Radio transients
Synchrotron emission
Radio variables
Radio sources classification

Observations of the transient radio sky provide an insight into the most dynamic and energetic events in the Universe. The exploration of transient and variable sources, for a long time primarily focused on higher frequencies, has recently been extended to the long wavelength regime, with the development of facilities such as the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR).
In this work I describe the general design of LOFAR as well as details of the commissioning work performed during the early stages of operation. Secondly, I perform an analysis of the first dedicated LOFAR transient survey -- the Radio Sky Monitor. The investigation is focused on exploring 30 seconds time-scale images and allows us to place an upper limit on the expected areal densities of fast radio transients in the low frequency sky. It also provides spectral index constraints on the previously found, first LOFAR transient event.
I also investigate the relation between the radio luminosities and variability time-scales across a wide range of sources – from nearby flare stars to distant supermassive black holes. The results are discussed in context of the potential use as a classification method, as well as in comparison with the expected brightness temperature of the events. The relation is used as a base for building a tool which classifies (with a given probability) an observed event, depending on the measured rise/decline rates of the flare. It includes the automatic selection of flares and takes into account the estimated areal densities of different classes of objects.
Lastly, I discuss the results of the luminosity – time-scale correlation in context of the estimation of the kinetic power, as well as future prospects of implementing the presented classification method into an automated transient detection pipeline for instruments such as MeerKAT and the Square Kilometer Array.
Multifrequency search &amp; classification of the transient radio sky
Keywords: radio transients
radio variables
LOFAR
transient classification

The radio sky can exhibit dynamic changes that provide an excellent opportunity to study the most exotic events in the Universe. In recent years the development and completion of advanced radio facilities has enabled the transient radio sky to be probed to unprecedented levels, especially at low frequencies with telescopes such as the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) revolutionising observations in this regime.
This work primarily focuses on the detection of radio transients both at low and high frequencies. I describe the analysis of a 60 MHz LOFAR monitoring campaign centred at the North Celestial Pole, and report the discovery of the first LOFAR transient source. I also present the initial transient search of the CHILES survey that was performed with the VLA at 1.4 GHz, supported by simultaneous optical observations. Three strong transient candidates are discussed along with identifying a further 72 possible candidates.
Furthermore, I investigate the relation between the radio and optical flux properties of known transient and variable sources, with the aim of developing a classification method for these types of events. I show that from just radio and optical flux measurements, it is possible to separate certain classes of objects, with additional information provided by analysing how individual classes evolve in the radio and optical parameter space over time.
Lastly, I explore the future prospects of the LOFAR and CHILES transient searches, detailing what techniques could be used to further define the transient parameter space. I also discuss how the radio and optical classification method can be advanced and incorporated into automatic transient pipelines, which may be a necessity in the future Square Kilometre Array era.
Demographic consequences of a changing environment on a population of Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia Reticulata)
Keywords: ecology
population dynamics
population demography
life history
guppies

Ecologists are interested in the complex relationships between populations and their environment. Feedbacks from ecological interactions can change the biotic and abiotic landscape, impacting numerous aspects of a population. Selective pressures on phenotypic traits from processes such as predation and intraspecific competition can change the structure of populations. Structured models can be used to predict how individual level processes can determine population level responses and build an overall understanding of population dynamics. When these models are structured by fitness related phenotypic traits, they can simultaneously be used to provide insights into phenotypic change.
In this thesis, I explore ecological drivers of the population and body size dynamics of Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) following a change in predation environment. I used individual based data to explore how the life history of individuals across size classes is determined by population density and size-dynamics in a varying environment. I (i) used a modelling approach to determine how much female body size, population density, and the interaction between body size and density explain the temporal variation in demographic rates of individuals (ii) parameterized and analysed a density-dependent Integral Projection Model to make predictions about population dynamics. This thesis contributes to our understanding of the factors that determine phenotypic trait dynamics and population demography in a seasonally fluctuating environment. Understanding how populations respond to environmental variation over the long term has important implications as anthropogenic forces rapidly disrupt seasonal dynamics, with serious consequences for populations.
Particle interactions in a magnetophoretic system
Keywords: Microfluidics
Super-paramagnetic Bead
Lab-on-a-chip
Magnetic Interaction
Magnetic Separation
Magnetophoretic
Magnetic Field
Magnetic Bead Agglomerate
Bio-sensor
Immunoassay
Hydrodynamic Interaction

The continuous flow separation of magnetic particles from a mixture of particles could improve the performance of magnetic bead based assays but the formation of agglomerates limit the separation efficiency. Bead agglomerates are formed as a result of magnetic binding forces while the hydrodynamic fluid environment strongly influences their movement. The ability to predict the interaction between nearby beads will help to determine a threshold separation distance which will be recommended for use when obtaining measurement within a magnetic bead assay for a specified time interval.
The introductory part of this thesis explored the development of a two dimensional numerical model in Matlab which predicts the trajectory pattern as well as magnetic induced velocities between a pair of super-paramagnetic beads suspended in water within a uniform field.
The movement of a bead pair interacting due to both magnetic and hydrodynamic forces within a magnetophoretic system was recorded using an optical system; the beads’ movements were compared with the simulated trajectories and gave a good agreement. The model was used to predict the shortest agglomeration time for a given separation distance which is of practical benefit to users of bead based assays.
The concluding part of this thesis expanded the simulation into a three dimensional model to predict the interactions among three super-paramagnetic beads within a magnetophoretic system. In order to determine the height of the magnetic beads, a Huygens-Fresnel model was implemented in Matlab which was compared with off-focused diffracted images of the beads viewed under an optical system. A good comparison was obtained by comparing the simulated three-dimensional trajectories with experimental data.
The struggle that has no name: race, space and policing in post-Duggan Britain
Keywords: resistance
polcing
racism
britain

State violence, and policing in particular, continue to shape the black British experience, racialising geographical areas associated with African and African-Caribbean communities. The history of black struggles in the UK has often centred on spaces of racial violence and resistance to it. But black-led social movements of previous decades have, for the most part, seen a decline in both political mobilisations, and the militant anti-racist slogans and discourses that accompanied them. Neoliberalism, through securitisation, resource reallocation, privatisation of space and the de-racialising of language, has made radical black activism an increasingly difficult endeavour. But this does not mean that black struggle against policing has disappeared. What it does mean, however, is that there have been significant changes in how anti-racist activism against policing is articulated and carried out. Three high-profile black deaths at the hands of police in 2011 led to widespread protest and civil unrest. These movements of resistance were strengthened when the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States mobilised hundreds of young people in solidarity actions in England. In this thesis, I argue that, over time, racist metonyms used to describe places racialised as black (Handsworth, Brixton etc.) and people racialised as black (Stephen Lawrence, Mark Duggan etc.), have led to the rise of metonymic anti-racism. While metonymic anti-racism was used alongside more overt anti-racist language in the period between the 1950s and early 1990s, I argue that such overt anti-racist language is becoming rarer in the post-2011 period, particularly in radical black grassroots organisations that address policing. Intersecting with metonymic anti-racism are gender dynamics brought to the surface by female-led campaigns against police violence, and forms of resistance which target spaces of post-industrial consumer capitalism. Understanding how police racism, and resistance to it, are being reconceptualised through language, and reconfigured through different forms of activism, provides a fresh understanding of grassroots black struggle in Britain.
Networks for school support and improvement: a mixed methods study
Keywords: multilevel modeling
mixed methods
educational effectiveness
networks and collaboration
school improvement

From 2010 to 2016, public schools in New York City were required to affiliate with one of approximately 60 Children First Networks (CFN). These networks were designed to provide a broad range of support for instruction, leadership, curriculum, and operations in schools, as well as facilitating collaboration between schools, with the ultimate goal of raising student achievement. Using mixed methods, the research presented in this thesis investigates relationships between these networks and student achievement, and explores processes and interactions relevant to collaboration and school improvement within and between schools and their affiliated networks.
The overall explanatory sequential mixed methods design began with a quantitative phase, in which secondary data were analyzed using multilevel modeling to determine whether there was an overall effect of networks on student achievement on state assessments in literacy and mathematics. Contextualised value added (CVA) school effects were also investigated at this stage, and the results were used to inform the sampling of schools for the qualitative strand of the project. Qualitative inquiry used a case study approach, with the "case" defined as the network structure as a whole, and embedded cases consisting of 10 schools in several different networks. Interviews were conducted with various stakeholders (principals, teachers, and network staff) to access multiple perspectives and experiences of network roles, participation and collaboration in networks, and how these relate to school improvement.
Main findings from the quantitative analysis demonstrate little evidence of an overall effect of networks on student achievement, but show significant variation between schools’ CVA effects. Qualitative findings offer insight relevant to these results, as accounts of participants at different levels of the network structure vary regarding the nature, extent and impact of schools’ involvement with networks.
Focusing on an under-researched network structure and applying rigorous methods from educational effectiveness research within a mixed methods design to study networking and collaboration in education, this study makes an original and substantive contribution to both of these fields. Findings have the potential to inform relevant policy in New York City, and though results from this context must be generalized cautiously, this research may provide useful considerations for policymakers in other settings by adding to the broader evidence base on the effects of school networks and the processes and interactions within them.