VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Descartes and education: risk and Reception, 1637-48

This thesis discusses Descartes' conception and negotiation, in the period from 1637 to 1648, of the responsibilities arising from teaching. His concerns spring particularly from the teaching of sceptical arguments, and from his efforts to maintain his project's integrity as his followers take it up. My argument is twofold: that such responsibilities were a persistent and prominent concern through this crucial period in his career, and that they offered terms of criticism within which major early responses to his work, friendly and hostile, were formulated. In Chapter 1, I show how these concerns shape the Principia. Chapter 2 argues that Descartes' conception of his responsibilities are rooted in a widespread early modern conception of the risks of scepticism, and that they are visible, within the Discours, in his remarks about exemplarity and publication, as well as in the actual business of publishing the text. In Chapter 3, these concerns are linked to a positive conception of the gains Descartes hoped to secure for his students against pressures within Aristotelianism. Finally, in Chapter 4, I show that Descartes' critics mobilise this understanding to frame early attacks on the interactions between Cartesianism and existing scholastic institutions. In closing, I suggest three directions in which to develop historiographical issues raised in the thesis.

Keywords: Utrecht
Descartes
education
scepticism
Advisor: Scholar, R
Morris, K
The war criminals investigate

This thesis uses the war crimes investigations carried out by the Wehrmacht between 1939- 1945 to explore the creation and development of the narrative which the Nazi regime constructed to justify its war of aggression, conquest, and extermination. This source has been sorely underused and provides deep insight into the regime’s official narrative – a narrative which seems fundamentally at odds with its true aims and its murderous actions. It claimed that the Reich was waging a war in self-defence and for humanitarian reasons. These justifications were designed to convince both the German population and international audiences. The regime did not simply lie, however, but gathered empirical evidence which it then used selectively to legitimise the war.
By reconstructing this process, the thesis aims to understand the degree to which the regime was able to make its arguments convincing. This allows us to better understand how it was possible to mobilise so many ordinary Germans to support and fight the war and, indeed, to perpetrate horrendous crimes.
In particular, this thesis seeks to explore the tension between the official narrative and the Reich’s own crimes, arguing that these two were not diametrically opposed, but that there was a direct justificatory link between them. Crucial in this context was the degree to which the regime could portray its criminal actions as a response to those of the enemy.
In doing so, this thesis develops on a historiography which has acknowledged the importance of the regime’s justificatory framework, but which has yet to study the foundations on which this was based and how it developed over the course of the war.
In short, this is a study of the German narrative of victimhood which underpinned the brutal war of extermination.

Keywords: Wehrmacht-Untersuchungsstelle
war crimes
atrocities
war crimes investigations
Advisor: Stargardt, N
Demarcating the cité française: exclusion and inclusion in colonial Algeria, 1870-1938

This thesis discusses the unmaking of republican citizenship in colonial Algeria and the reverberations of this process in the metropole under the Third Republic, as well as demands and contestations by various populations in the colony concerning participation and rights.
The attempt to establish a regime of privileges for settlers and to exclude the Muslim majority led politicians, jurists, and administrators to rely on religion and ethnicity as legal criteria to demarcate the boundaries of French citizenship. In their quest to legitimise the political exclusion of the Muslim population, politicians and legal experts from the late nineteenth century onwards portrayed Islam as an immobile and unmodern religion. Reiterated in mainland France whenever the demand for political reform in Algeria was raised, such theories gave rise to the widely-held view that being Muslim was inherently irreconcilable with being French.
At the same time, the thesis examines colonial reform movements and moments of asymmetrical negotiation between populations in Algeria and the state on the demarcation of French citizenry. Both the naturalisation of the Algerian Jews and the backlash against it are re-interpreted here to highlight the pivotal role played by the local and the settler populations. In a similar vein, the thesis discusses debates sparked in the early twentieth century by Algerian Muslim campaigns for political rights, debates which yielded alternative visions of participation in the Republic. The failure of such attempts to accommodate religious difference on the eve of collapse of the Third Republic re-affirmed the colonial order in Algeria and the deep imprint it had left on conceptions of French citizenship.

Advisor: Gildea, R
Structural and functional studies on human oxygenases

The work described in this thesis focused on 2-oxoacid-dependent oxygenase enzymes. Most of the work focused on iron- and 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)-dependent oxygenases including JMJD6 and JMJD5, which are human enzymes of unassigned or controversial functions. Work was carried out also on human 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), which is a structurally distinct 2-oxoacid oxygenase involved in tyrosine catabolism. The work involved protein purification, biophysical analysis, substrate screening, and inhibitor profiling. Chapter 1 gives an introduction to 2OG oxygenases summarizing their functions, structures, and mechanisms.
Chapters 2-6 describe functional assignment, structural, and inhibition studies on JMJD6, which has been previously reported as phosphatidylserine receptor (PTDSR), as an N-methyl arginine demethylase, and as a lysyl-hydroxylase. The overall results using peptide as substrate support the assignment of JMJD6 as lysyl C-5 hydroxylase. Crystallographic studies reveal JMJD6 to be more similar to the JmjC hydroxylases than demethylases. JMJD6 was found to act on sequences of substrates including splicing regulatory (SR) proteins, such as U2AF65 (U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein auxiliary factor 65 kDa subunit), LUC7L2 (putative RNA binding protein luc 7-like 2), and CROP (cisplatin resistance-associated overexpressed protein). It also acted on sequences of substrates including p53, estrogen receptor α (ERα), and von Hippel-Lindau (VHL). There was no evidence for JMJD6-catalysed demethylation activity either on N-methyl arginine- or N-methyl lysine-residues. Studies on the non-catalytic domain of JMJD6 reveal a role of the polyserine domain in regulating catalytic activity. Structural and kinetic studies reveal how JMJD6 is inhibited by the structural analogues of 2OG.
Chapters 7-8 describe crystallographic and other studies on JMJD5, which has been assigned as an arginine residue C-3 hydroxylase, and N-methyl lysine demethylase. The results support the assignment of JMJD5 as a hydroxylase rather than demethylase and will enable the development of selective JMJD5 inhibitors.
Chapter 9 describes studies on human HPPD from crystallographic and inhibition perspectives. The results highlight common features at the active sites of the two classes of human 2-oxoacid oxygenases.
Overall, the results inform on the functions of JMJD6 and JMJD5 as hydroxylases and will enable the development of selective inhibitors of them for use in target validation and the assignment of their biological roles.

Advisor: Schofield, C
Autonomy, neutrality, and justice: toward a liberal theory of language rights

My thesis aims to contribute to the development of a distinctively liberal theory of language rights. To this end, I seek to identify the philosophical foundations of language rights by asking which objectives and principles ought to guide the formulation of language policy in multilingual states. I ask whether language policy ought to seek to achieve convergence on a common public language, or to secure the preservation of endangered languages. I also examine whether a normatively satisfying theory of language rights can be constructed around the ideal of liberal neutrality.
I argue that achieving linguistic convergence in the public realm will tend to promote administrative efficiency, economic development, social mobility, social and economic solidarity, and democratic participation. I further contend that in most real-world cases, it will either be the case that language maintenance is not necessary to secure the particular benefits that linguistic preservation is alleged to give rise to, or else, if preservation is necessary in order to secure those benefits, such preservation will nonetheless be unjustifiable in light of the interference with individual freedom of choice that it would entail.
Drawing on the work of Alan Patten, I claim that language policy should strive to ensure that all citizens enjoy a fair opportunity for self-determination. I argue that while it is practically impossible for the state to remain neutral in all matters of language and culture, extending neutral treatment to language communities will generally (although not always) promote the value of fair opportunity for self-determination for all. I insist, however, that the state may rightly implement language policies (be they neutral or non-neutral) that undermine rather than advance fair opportunity for self-determination for all, provided that such policies are aimed at securing sufficiently weighty liberal goods, and impair fair opportunity for self-determination no more than is necessary to that end.

Advisor: Green, L
Effect of exposure to electromagnetic fields on brain function and behaviour in mice

There is a need for improved understanding of interactions between electromagnetic fields and biological tissues. In this thesis, the effects of exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields, associated with power generation and use, and 1800 MHz fields associated with mobile phones were investigated with particular focus on the plastic processes that are involved in cognitive function.
After repeated, daily exposure of young adult C57Bl/6J mice to an 1800 MHz field at 3 W/kg, very subtle changes in expression of genes involved in synaptic plasticity were found (p˂0.05). Spatial memory as measured in the water maze was not significantly affected by exposure. Exposure at 0.3 W/kg did not significantly affect any of the endpoints (p˃0.05). Indications of a greater sensitivity to exposure at 3 W/kg were seen in a senescence accelerated prone mouse model (SAMP8) compared to a resistant strain (SAMR1). However, only subtle effects of exposure were seen.
Exposure of young C57Bl/6J mice to a 50 Hz field at 100 or 300 μT induced small but significant changes in expression in synaptic plasticity related genes (p˂0.05). Furthermore, repeated exposure significantly increased microglial density in the dorsal hippocampus (p˂0.05) and slightly decreased proliferation in the dorsal hippocampus (100 μT, p˂0.05). Spatial memory was not significantly affected by exposure.
Acute exposure to a 50 Hz magnetic field for 30 minutes at 300 or 580 μT did not affect the adrenal response to a nocturnal white or blue light shock, while exposure at 580 μT in the absence of light significantly decreased per1 expression in the adrenal glands (p˂0.05), but not in the liver or dorsal hippocampus. Exposure at 580 μT for 24 hours had only minor transient effects on the rhythmic expression of the core clock genes.
In summary, exposure to 50 Hz or 1800 MHz fields caused subtle and transient changes to some molecular mechanisms and cells involved in cognitive function and circadian rhythm control.

Keywords: Brain function
Circadian rhythm
Electromagnetic fields
Memory
Hippocampus
Advisor: Anthony, D
Broom, K
Sienkiewicz, Z
Factors controlling the pluripotent state of human embryonic stem cells

In the field of regenerative medicine, human embryonic stem (hES) cells offer the potential to treat degenerative diseases and replace damaged or non-functional tissue. However, it is not fully clear how hES cells retain a pluripotent state or differentiate into specific cell lineages. Although most of previous research has found that various proteins are responsible for the balance in hES cell maintenance and differentiation, there is mounting evidence for non-coding RNAs as important players in this task. Data from our laboratory shows that there are genes that encode for variants of the non-coding RNA U1 small nuclear (sn)RNA, a key component of the spliceosome. These variant (v)U1 snRNA genes are transcriptionally active and differentially expressed. Moreover, interfering with the activity of a specific vU1 snRNA affects the expression of a subset of genes at the level of pre-mRNA 3' end processing (O'Reilly et al., 2012). I have analysed the expression of vU1 snRNA genes throughout hES cell differentiation and shown that vU1 snRNA genes are down regulated upon differentiation into macrophages. Interestingly, analyses of steady state levels of specific vU1 snRNAs throughout hES cell differentiation revealed a characteristic pattern where specific vU1 snRNAs are more stable in the final differentiation step (i.e. macrophages). Thus, strongly supporting the idea that the vU1 snRNA genes are being regulated throughout differentiation both at the level of transcription and snRNA stability. Furthermore, vU1 snRNAs are up regulated upon reprogramming of primary human skin fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, whose pattern of expression is similar to hES cells. Therefore, we hypothesize that vU1 snRNAs play a significant role in establishing pluripotent stem cells and that their differential expression may be key during development and cell reprogramming.

Advisor: Murphy, S
Challenges and possible solutions for ensuring health of urban migrants as a part of India's agenda for a sustainable urban growth story

Internal labour migration is an important livelihood strategy for poor groups worldwide.
Aims and objectives
This research aims to answer the question "What is appropriate policy framework to address the health needs of the Indian urban migrants?" The research analyses existing policies and compares policies in arrange of countries that have developed mechanisms to address migrant's health needs. Transferable lessons will be drawn to develop a policy framework to address health needs of Indian migrants. Recommendations to improve the health of urban migrants will be made.
Methods
The research involves a mixed methods approach - literature review, questionnaire survey, qualitative interviews and site visits to understand successes and challenges in the implementation of migration and health policies in India and other countries. A literature review was conducted to understand the impact of migration - its health outcomes and policies in India and abroad. A pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire survey was conducted using random sampling with 4000 migrants in Nashik to understand their access to health care. In-depth interviews were conducted with policy makers in ministries including health and labour, migrant's organizations and international agencies in India, China, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam to understand the successes and challenges in the implementation of migration and health policies and learn from their experiences.
Conclusions
Internal migration is rising in India mainly from the scheduled tribes and castes. Lack of migration specific data, state specific programmes/policies linked with state citizenship and lack of federal structures are key challenges to meet the unique needs of Indian migrants.
Lessons for India were learnt from other countries included initiating a migration census, introducing a national portable health insurance and a comprehensive 'whole government approach'.
Recommendations were made to enable the government to facilitate appropriate policy to improve the health and status of the migrants.

Keywords: health and social security policies
Low and middle income countries
exclusion
Internal migration
livelihood migration
vulnerability
Advisor: Webster, P
Mavalankar, D
Divide and rule: managing minorities in interwar Poland

In this thesis I address the following puzzle: What explains the presence of the relatively high number of ethnic minority organizations in multinational states, particularly in cases where (a) relations between the titular and minority groups are hostile; (b) the state pursues discriminatory group-level policies vis-à-vis its minorities; (c) state capacity to repress is evident; and (d) the regime is governed by a dominant group, or what can be called a "core nation"? More specifically, the variation I seek to understand through this research is why some political organizations claiming to represent a restive ethnic minority group are banned by state authorities and excluded from public life, while others, which claim to represent the same ethnic group, are allowed to operate. Currently, well-established scholarly literature on state-ethnic minority group relations only focuses on part of the puzzle: it takes the point of view that repression is central in managing opposition, and accordingly has focused only on the reasons that states ban certain organizations. The intent of this study, however, is to change this dominant perspective by examining the question from a different angle, asking why states allow minority ethnic organizations to operate. Indeed, not always do repressive regimes that have the capacity to ban organizations representing a restive minority do—repression is relatively infrequent and selective. My contention instead is that if a multi-ethnic state is faced with a potentially hostile ethnic group, it prefers organizational pluralism which allows it to divide and rule the minority, even if repression is a viable option. This theory differs from existing ones by arguing that states choose to encourage organizational pluralism in ethnic minorities and that, if plurality is absent within an ethnic group, a state may even promote it. I test this hypothesis on the case of interwar Poland (1918-1939). I reconstruct the intentions of policy makers using process-tracing analysis and extensive archival research of the Ministry of Interior (Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych, or MSW), the main organ responsible for formulating minority policies, and its strategies for governing Ukrainian, Belarusian, German, and Jewish political organizations throughout the interwar period.

Advisor: Capoccia, G
Pharmaceutical e-commerce: evidence concerning the quality of medicines available from the internet

The overall aim is to appraise and extend the evidence base on poor quality medicines found in online medicine quality surveys. The thesis starts with two systematic reviews critically appraising the existing evidence, finding a range of evidence gaps subsequently addressed in the following chapters. These include: (a) inconsistent and poor quality reporting, (b) the methods employed are subject to high degrees of risk of bias, (c) discrepancies exist in scientific evidence, and (d) a range of critical therapeutic areas require investigation of the incidence of poor quality medicines. The Delphi consensus study of Chapter 5 constructs the first reporting guidelines to standardise reporting, allowing for evidence-based conclusions. Chapter 6 finds four out of nine investigated withdrawn medicines still available for purchase in a range of countries worldwide (clobenzorex, fenfluramine, rimonabant, and sibutramine), which are subsequently acquired and chemically analysed in Chapter 7. The results from Chapter 8 find a mean of 7.7% poor quality medicines, which corroborates with the findings of the systematic review of Chapter 4, finding a mean of 10% (IQR 0-20%) poor quality medicines in online medicine quality surveys. Purchased medicines displayed a range of quality defects, including orders lacking patient information leaflets, failing pharmacopoeia bioavailability testing, the absence of various types of packaging, the non-delivery of paid orders, and failure of pharmacopoeia friability testing.

Advisor: Heneghan, C
Aronson, J
Hobbs, F
Exploring the spatial epidemiology and population genetics of malaria-protective haemoglobinopathies

Haemoglobinopathies, which include sickle-cell anaemia (SCA) and α- and β-thalassaemia, represent some of our few unequivocal examples of human evolution. The underlying genetic mutations reflect a recurring adaptation against one of the biggest infectious disease killers of humans, Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Inheritance of one copy of a sickle-cell or thalassaemic allele leads to protection against death from malaria, while two copies can result in a severe blood disorder. As a result, haemoglobinopathies have risen in frequency through balancing selection and pose a significant public health problem in parts of the world with a history of malaria transmission. Their study therefore lies at the interface between evolutionary biology and public health.
In this thesis, I explore different aspects of the epidemiology and population genetics of haemoglobinopathies around the world. Using pre-existing epidemiological data, statistical and geostatistical methods and Geographic Information System tools, I develop detailed evidence-based maps of the α-thalassaemia allele frequency distribution and genetic diversity in Southeast Asia and sickle-cell allele frequency in India. Pairing these with birth data, I generate sub-national estimates of the number of newborns born with severe forms of α-thalassaemia and SCA in Thailand and India, respectively, together with uncertainty estimates. In addition, I use a flexible population genetic simulation model to explore evolutionary explanations for the contrasting spatial haplotype patterns observed for SCA and the severe form of β-thalassaemia (β0-thalassaemia) in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, and resurrect a 20-year old question surrounding the genetic origin of sickle-cell.
Understanding the fine-scale geographical heterogeneities in the distributions of malaria-protective haemoglobinopathies is critical for addressing basic science questions and applied public health queries. Working at the interface between evolutionary biology and public health has provided me with the opportunity to build a more complete overview of the neglected increasing public health burden that this group of human disorders represents.

Advisor: Gupta, S
Piel, F
Penman, B