VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Bringing the party back in: mobilization and persuasion in constituency election campaigns
Keywords: household
party
persuasion
Labour
mobilisation
campaign
randomised field experiment
turnout
elections

In this thesis, I report the results from the first randomized field experiments conducted in collaboration with party-affiliated candidates and campaigns in the United Kingdom. The papers presented as part of this thesis test both the limits and possibilities of campaign influence, in a partisan political environment. During election campaigns parties provide signals to voters, voluntarily or involuntarily imposing a structure, and thereby constraints, on individuals’ electoral decisions. By integrating insights about heuristic and social decision-making into the experimental campaign literature, I formulate testable hypotheses about the direct and indirect effects of party cues on campaign mobilization and persuasion.
The first paper, The Heuristic Function of Party Affiliation in Voter Mobilization Campaigns, addresses how the provision of party cues, used during campaign phone calls, affects turnout among party supporters, opponents and unattached voters. The second paper on Household Partisan Composition and Voter Mobilization, explores the spillover effects from the previous experiment, testing whether campaign-induced mobilization between household members is conditioned by the partisan composition of a household, and the partisan intensity of a campaign message. Paper three investigates if candidates who are Reaching Across The Partisan Divide can win over supporters of rival parties. In the fourth paper, I test if Impersonal, But Noticeable methods of voter contact, such as door hangers and text messages, affect the turnout decisions of partisans and unattached voters. The final paper, The National Effects of Subnational Representation, highlights the importance of local party organization for the outcomes of national elections. The results of this thesis show the electoral consequences of direct and indirect interactions between campaigns and voters of different partisanship, and point to strategies that allow constituency campaigns to successfully navigate challenging partisan environments.
Mutational analysis of isoform selectivity and conformational equilibria in protein kinase inhibition
Keywords: CDK2
kinase
conformations
inhibitors
cancer
mutants
selectivity

Deregulation of protein kinases is associated with many diseases making them important targets for therapeutic intervention. Kinases can switch between active and inactive conformations that can be targeted by type 1 or type 2 inhibitors respectively. One of the most relevant conformational switches is the ‘in’ and ‘out’ movement of the ATP/Mg2+ binding motif DFG. Factors modulating the conformational equilibria such as the residue environment of regulatory motifs remain poorly understood despite their importance for drug discovery.
In this thesis, the first model system tested the hypothesis that accessibility of the DFG-out conformation is restricted by the energetic cost of transition between the in and out states. CDK2 was chosen as a target that was thought to have an inaccessible DFG-out conformation, and several point mutations were introduced to promote this conformational transition. Detailed biochemical and biophysical characterisation illustrated that the mutants bound type 2 inhibitors more potently than the wild type. In addition, the wild-type CDK2 was shown to bind type 2 inhibitors in the absence, but not in the presence, of cyclin. The first known CDK2 co-crystal structure in the DFG-out conformation was solved, opening the door to a new class of CDK2 inhibitors.
In the second project, site-directed mutagenesis was used to explore the residues determining inhibitor selectivity between PIM1 and PIM2. Evaluation of ligand binding to the variants and comparison of PIM1 and PIM2 crystal structures showed that flexibility of the phosphate-binding loop was the dominant factor determining the differences in their affinities for ATP and small molecule inhibitors. These studies illustrate that residues contributing to kinase conformational equilibria can be just as important for inhibitor binding as contact residues formed in the ligand complex.
The Athenian dramatic chorus in the fourth century BC
Keywords: fourth century
decline
tragedy
chorus
Ancient Greek theatre
comedy

This thesis tackles a conspicuous absence in current scholarship on ancient theatre. Amid the recent scholarly interest in the rapid expansion of the theatre industry from the late fifth-century BC onwards, no study has been made of a central, defining even, element of ancient Greek drama at that time – the chorus. Instead, what we find is a widespread assumption concerning the fourth-century dramatic chorus, particularly with regard to the comic chorus, still prevalent in today’s scholarship: ‘The history of the dramatic chorus is one of decline both quantitatively and qualitatively’, states one of the more detailed recent reviews of the evidence for dramatic choral culture in the ancient world (Csapo and Slater 1995:349).
The thesis focuses on the literary sources available to us concerning fourth-century dramatic choruses in Athens. The material is divided into three sections. The first section addresses the important testimony of Aristotle concerning the choruses of his day, particularly in the Poetics (chapter one). The second section analyses the choral text in the (probably fourth-century) Rhesus (chapter two), the interpolated choral passages in the Iphigenia at Aulis and Seven Against Thebes (chapter three), and the choruses of Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen and Wealth, as well as extant fragments of fourth-century comedy (chapter four). The third section is a survey of how the chorus is used in a wide range of fourth-century texts (chapter five), and gives special attention to Plato’s somewhat idiosyncratic presentation of the chorus in his works (chapter six). These analyses show 1) that ‘decline’ is an inappropriate term to describe the development of the chorus and 2) the creativity with which the chorus is used and thought about in fourth-century drama and society. The thesis aims to provide an elucidation of dramatic choral activity in the fourth century and to provoke further interrogation of the assumptions commonly held about the development of both the ancient chorus and ancient drama as a whole.
Transition metal catalysed C-C bond formation via C-H functionalisation
Keywords: C-C bond formation
hydroacylation
C-H functionalisation
rhodium
copper
cross coupling

The functionalisation of C-H bonds has been widely studied in organic synthesis. This work presents the results of investigation into two areas of current research, copper-catalysed aromatic C-H functionalisation and rhodium-catalysed hydroacylation. Chapter 1 presents the development of palladium- and copper-catalysed aromatic C-H functionalisation with particular attention paid to regiocontrol. Chapter 2 describes the development of copper-catalysed cross-coupling of perfluorinated arenes and alkenyl halides along with efforts to expand this methodology to a more general reaction. In Chapter 3 the development of chelation-controlled rhodium-catalysed hydroacylation is discussed. Chapter 4 outlines the utilisation of amino acid derived N-methylthiomethyl aldehydes in rhodium-catalysed hydroacylation methodology.
Powder processing of oxide dispersion strengthened steels for nuclear applications
Keywords: Powder processing
Steels
Nuclear
Fusion
Oxide dispersion stengthened
Fission

Ferritic ODS steels show improved high temperature strength and irradiation tolerance compared with conventional ferritic steels, and are one of the key potential materials for fusion blanket structural applications. The processing of ODS steels is critical to their subsequent performance; however knowledge of the optimum processing approaches for these alloys is not complete.
The microstructural evolution of ODS steels containing Y2O3 and other additions during manufacture has been investigated and the processing conditions optimised based on microstructural and mechanical investigations.
Ferritic powders with Y2O3 and other additions were investigated, primarily using analysis on the micro- and nano-scale, with an emphasis on identifying the requirements for homogenization of the Y within the steel matrix. The Y2O3 dispersion and subsequent development of the nano-precipitates during thermal treatment was investigated using in-situ neutron diﬀraction. The nano-precipitates were resolved at approximately 900◦C after 1hr, with coarsening and/or re-precipitation progressively increasing at higher temperatures.
A signiﬁcantly increased number density of nano-precipitates (∼2x1023m−3 to ∼7x1023m−3) was established by hot isostatically pressing an Fe-14Cr-3W-0.2Ti0.25Y2O3 alloy at 950◦C compared with more traditional temperatures at 1150◦C, attributed to the increased coarsening and/or re-precipitation of the nano-precipitates at the higher temperatures.
The inﬂuence of the mechanical alloy (MA)ing conditions on bulk mechanical properties was investigated using four point bend. The highest fracture toughness of ∼55MN/m3/2 and ultimate strength of ∼1450MPa was achieved under conditions that minimised the mechanical alloying time and increased the average ﬁnal size of the powders.
An Fe-14Cr-3W-0.2Ti-0.25Y2O3 (wt%) ODS alloy manufactured under optimised conditions showed a bi-modal grain structure size distribution and had a comparatively high yield strength of >1200MPa at 20◦C and >330MPa at 700◦C. The grain structure and high yield strength were attributed to the random distribution of 25nm radius of gyration (Rg) Y, Ti and O rich nano-precipitates randomly dispersed throughout the alloy. Long term thermal ageing (750hr at 1000◦C) reduced the room temperature yield strength and increased the proportion of larger grains in the bi-modal distribution, but high temperature yield strength was remarkably stable.
Myocardial microstructure and its role in propagation dynamics
Keywords: registration
computational biology
medical imaging

Computational modelling and simulation, in close interaction with experiments, has provided invaluable insight into the biochemical, mechanical and electrophysiological function and dysfunction of the heart. However, limitations in imaging techniques and computing resources have precluded the analysis of tissue architecture near the cellular scale and the effect of this architecture on cardiac function.
It is the wider aim of this thesis to develop a framework to characterise cardiac microstructure and to investigate the role of microstructure in cardiac propagation dynamics and arrhythmogenesis. An initial modelling study elucidates the effect of blood vessels in sustaining arrhythmic episodes, and how the accurate modelling of fibre direction in the vicinity of the vessels mitigates this detrimental mechanism. A mathematical model of fibre orientation in a simple geometry around blood vessels has been developed, based on information obtained from highly detailed histological and MRI datasets. A simulation regime was chosen, guided by the vasculature extracted from whole heart MRI images, to analyse ventricular wavefront propagation for different orientations and positions of blood vessels. Our results demonstrate not only that the presence of the blood vessels encourages curvature in the activation wavefront around the blood vessels, but further that vessels act to restrict and prolong phase singularities. When compared to a more simplistic implementation of fibre orientation, the model is shown to weaken wavefront curvature and reduce phase singularity anchoring. Having established the importance of microstructural detail in computational models, it seems expedient to generate accurate data in this regard. An automated registration toolchain is developed to reconstruct histological slices based on coherent block face volumes, in order to present the first 3-D sub-cellular resolution images of cardiac tissue. Although mesoscopic geometry is faithfully reproduced throughout much of the dataset, low levels of transformational noise obfuscate tissue microstructure. These distortions are all but eradicated by a novel transformational diffusion algorithm, with characteristics that outperform any previous method in the literature in this domain, with respect to robustness, conservation of geometry and extent of information transfer. Progress is made towards extracting microstructural models from the resultant histological volumes, with a view to incorporating this detail into simulations and yielding a deeper understanding of the role of microstructure in arrhythmia.
Ideology or pragmatism: the Conservative Party in opposition, 1974-79
Keywords: Thatcherism
opposition
Conservative Party

In January 1979, Stuart Hall claimed to have identified a new ‘radical Right’ ideology he termed ‘Thatcherism’, which was attempting to ‘command the space’ occupied by the social democracy of the then Labour government and the ‘moderate wing’ of the Conservative Party. In short, the Thatcher Conservative Opposition was detaching itself from ‘traditional’ Conservatism. This thesis examines the validity of the claim at the time it was made, through a detailed scrutiny of the positions taken up between 1974 and 1979 by those identified as being on the ‘radical Right’ of the Party and those designated as ‘moderates’. In particular, it analyses the programme proposed by Sir Keith Joseph, the leading advocate of New Conservatism, within the context of the policy-making processes adopted by the Party in those years and the outcome of those processes. It concentrates on efforts to formulate policies in the key economic and industrial relations fields and examines how what emerged was shaped by the opposing views of those involved and by outside events. It considers how Margaret Thatcher, in order to keep the Party intact, contrived to avoid entering into potentially unsustainable policy commitments and, at the same time, impressed herself sufficiently on the electorate that when the opportunity arose, it was prepared to vote her and her Party into office. It became possible, once the first Thatcher government started its work, to regard much of what it did as ideological and radical. However, so inchoate was the programme developed in opposition that one can only conclude that there was no body of doctrine at the time of the 1979 election which warranted the name of ‘Thatcherism’ and that victory was achieved by acting in accordance with ‘traditional’ Conservatism – by doing what was necessary in the circumstances to attain power.
Neighbourhood negotiations: network governance in post-Katrina New Orleans
Keywords: neighbourhoods
New Orleans
associations
grassroots
citizen participation
neighborhoods

This inquiry into informal networks and policy negotiations is set in the theoretical framework of network governance. It builds theory to explain informal networks by examining neighbourhood associations in post-Katrina New Orleans through a variety of qualitative methodologies including interviews, document analysis, surveying and ethnography.
In New Orleans, neighbourhood associations do not engage in social-service delivery, they prioritise neighbourhood protection and neighbourhood change. They represent their neighbourhoods through a system of intensive volunteering not elections. That system burns out neighbourhood leaders and leaves associations constantly looking for new volunteers. These associations partner with non-profits, work with politicians, and engage in fierce conflict when excluded from policy negotiations. Finally, they set their agenda based upon the physical characteristics of their neighbourhoods, investing in local institutions.
These findings contribute to network governance theory. New Orleans’ democracy of volunteers introduces a new form of democratic anchorage to governance theory. Actors in informal networks have varying priorities. This demonstrates the importance of early involvement by these actors in policy creation and the ways in which policy construction can ignore community. Neighbourhood associations blackmail, bribe and coerce to create their own power, showing how power at the micro-level includes not only resources and decision-making, but also interest.
These findings fit into a broader theme. Negotiations with multiple actors improve policy by incorporating complex priorities and neighbourhood context into the policy system. This wider theme of how to address complexity is the policy equivalent of the wisdom of crowds. Policy-makers can either incorporate complexity such as local context and differing priorities or face the conflict and consequences of ignoring it.
Mechanisms of NKG2D ligand regulation
Keywords: immunology
NKG2D
Warburg
NK cell
innate immunity
glucose
MICA
metabolism

Background: The NKG2D ligands are a set of cell surface proteins, the expression of which can make cells susceptible to immunity mediated by NKG2D receptor expressing cells, which include NK cells, CD8+ αβ T cells and γδ T cells. The NKG2D ligands are known to be expressed in distinct settings, including viral infection, cancer, T cell activation, and cellular proliferation, settings also tightly associated with Warburg metabolism. The molecular events which determine NKG2D ligand expression status are unknown.
Aims: We aim to enhance understanding of the deterministic molecular events that control NKG2D ligand expression. Specifically, to explore the relationship between Warburg metabolism and NKG2D ligand expression in cell line and physiological models, and second, to identify open chromatin elements at NKG2D ligand loci, and develop computational methods to analyse this data.
Methods: We use a range of molecular biology techniques to delineate the role of glucose metabolism in NKG2D ligand expression in a HEK293T cell model. We develop a physiological CMV-primary fibroblast model of NKG2D ligand induction to validate our key findings. We adapt, optimise and validate a DNaseI-seq protocol, to define open chromatin sites at the NKG2D ligand loci. We develop a data analysis `pipeline', including our own peak-finding software (“PeakHunter"), to identify open chromatin sites in the data.
Key results: Glucose drives NKG2D ligand expression. This effect requires cellular uptake and metabolism of glucose. Purine nucleotides are a key glucose metabolite for this effect, and purine nucleosides are sufficient to induce NKG2D ligand expression in our HEK293T model. We have identified the open chromatin sites at the NKG2D loci in MCF7 breast cancer cells, and optimised and validated this protocol. Finally we have developed “PeakHunter" a multifunctional software tool for mapped DNaseI-seq data analysis.
Conclusions: Glucose and its contribution to purine metabolism play a central role in the induction of NKG2D ligand expression in physiological settings. The influence of glucose leads to significant alterations in cellular NKG2D-dependent immunogenicity. PeakHunter is a useful tool for analysis of mapped DNaseI-seq data.
Educational homogamy, parenting practices and children’s early development
Keywords: educational assortative mating
educational homogamy
parenting practices
parenting attitudes
child development

This thesis investigates the pattern of parental educational homogamy and its implications for parenting practices and children’s early development in contemporary Britain. At the heart of the thesis lies an interest in the mechanisms behind the intergenerational transmission of educational success and, more specifically, the consequences for children of new patterns of parental resemblance in education.
The thesis is composed of three empirical chapters, each of which is concerned with a different outcome: 1) trends in educational attainment and educational assortative mating amongst parental couples; 2) parents’ childrearing values and stimulation-oriented interactions with children; and 3) children’s early cognitive and behavioural skills. The first chapter combines data from four birth cohort studies from 1958, 1970, 1990 and 2000-01 while the second and third chapters rely exclusively on the latter study. The empirical analyses use Log-linear and Diagonal Reference models.
With regard to trends in educational assortative mating, the thesis finds that the strength of homogamy increased between 1958 and 1970 to decrease thereafter and remain stable, at its lowest level, throughout the 1990s. Moreover, amongst recent cohorts of parental couples the percentage of unions where mothers are more educated than their male partners equalled that of unions exhibiting the opposite pattern. The findings concerning the dynamics of parenting in heterogamous couples suggest a pattern of female dominance in the attitudinal domain as fathers align with the views that can be expected on the basis of the mother’s level of education rather than their own; however, no significant adjustments between partners are observed in parenting behaviours.
Lastly, the thesis finds a positive gradient in the association between parental education and children’s early cognitive and socio-emotional development but little or no support for the hypotheses of differential effects for sons and daughters or gender biases in parental preferences for children. That is, no significant interactions are observed between the gender of children and the impact of parents’ absolute and relative levels of education.
Taken together, the findings of the thesis qualify concerns about the increase of educational assortative mating in industrialised societies and its potential consequences for the intergenerational reproduction of inequalities in education.
Impact of tissue microstructure on a model of cardiac electromechanics based on MRI data
Keywords: cardiac electromechanics
tissue microstructure
cardiac imaging
cardiac modelling

Cardiac motion is a highly complex and integrated process of vital importance as it sustains the primary function of the heart, that is pumping blood. Cardiac tissue microstructure, in particular the alignment of myocytes (also referred to as fibre direction) and their lateral organisation into laminae (or sheets), has been shown by both experimental and computational research to play an important role in the determination of cardiac motion patterns. However, current models of cardiac electromechanics, although already embedding structural information in the models equations, are not yet able to fully reproduce the connection between structural dynamics and cardiac deformation. The aim of this thesis was to develop an electromechanical modelling framework to investigate the impact of tissue structure on cardiac motion, focussing on left ventricular contraction in rat. The computational studies carried out were complemented with a preliminary validation study based on experimental data of tissue structure rearrangement during contraction from diffusion tensor MRI.