VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The epistemic value of contemporary art

Recently in analytic philosophy, interest in the issue of the epistemic value of art has been revived. Philosophers have sought to establish whether and in what ways art is a source of knowledge, understanding or a means of inquiry. In philosophy this is a longstanding question, addressed both in the Greek and German traditions, but it seems pertinent to ask the question again today in light of significant changes that have taken place in contemporary art practice.
In my thesis, I investigate this question from two perspectives: in terms of analytic philosophy of art, and in terms of developments in contemporary art since the 1960s. In Part I, I offer a defence of a philosophical theory of artistic value, critically overview the extant philosophical literature on the question of epistemic value of art, and explain why the inherently experimental character of contemporary art makes it difficult simply to apply the available theories. I argue that a philosophical engagement with contemporary art requires a different, more inductive method. In Part II, I closely consider three recent developments in which the relationship between art and knowledge has been rendered more complex. The Conceptual Art movement of the 1960s and 1970s privileged concerns with concepts, thought processes and truth over expression, materiality and fidelity to genre. The social turn of the 1990s cast the artist in a position that is almost indistinguishable from that of a teacher, social activist or even of a technology developer. And the artists working within the bio art movement of the 1990s and 2000s have assimilated the activity of the artist to that of the scientist, sometimes blurring the two roles.
The goal of the thesis is twofold. On the one hand, I show how cases from recent art history put pressure on some key commitments in recent analytic philosophy. Revisions and challenges are suggested in particular for extant theories of artistic value, conceptions of artistic autonomy and heteronomy, and some popular accounts of the epistemic value of art. On the other hand, concepts from analytic philosophy are used to shed light on some of the more radical developments in recent art practice, and to rethink the ways in which art participates in the broader culture.

Keywords: contemporary art
epistemic value
philosophy
aesthetics
Conceptual Art
social turn
epistemology
Adrian Piper
bio art
Advisor: Gaiger, J
Grootenboer, H
The nicotinic acid receptor in human adipose tissue

Nicotinic acid (NA) has been clinically used for over 50 years to regulate lipid plasma levels. It is the only drug in current clinical use that significantly raises HDL cholesterol and reduces inflammatory markers. However, mechanistic understanding into its wide range of actions remains unclear. The recent identification of the Gi-coupled protein receptor HCAR2, for which NA is a potent agonist, provides intriguing insight due to its anti-lipolytic action and restricted, yet specific, expression in adipose tissue and immune cells.
The HCAR2 gene is 96% homologous to HCAR3, but the HCAR3 receptor shares neither the specificity for NA, nor the range of functional effects. Moreover, the close homology makes it difficult to separate the genetic variability and regulation of the two genes. To this end, I resequenced HCAR2 and HCAR3 in a selected population to characterize the variability of the two genes and to inform the subsequent design of specific genotyping assays. The Oxford Biobank, which is a random population-based collection of 30-50 year old men and women in Oxfordshire with a wide range of collected phenotypes, was used to explore genetic associations. A preliminary trend with HDL and rs7314976 in HCAR2 motivated the further search associations. However after increasing the sample size, the HDL association did not reach significance. When looking at inflammatory phenotypes, a 20% lower level of systemic hsCRP was found in males with a promoter region variant in HCAR3 (N=1808, p=0.007 for rs55718746). Replication of this finding in two relevant cohorts (NPHS-II, N=2185 and Whitehall, N=4228) resulted in conflicting findings.
After optimising the specific detection of both HCAR2 and HCAR3 transcripts, I characterized gene expression in human AT biopsies. This revealed an 18% increase in HCAR2 expression in the female abdominal depot (N=106, p<0.0001) and a reduction in abdominal HCAR2 in both males (β=-0.37, p<0.001, N=107) and females (β=-0.251, p=0.005, N=106) with increasing adiposity. The rs55718746 variant in HCAR3 was also seen to influence expression of both HCAR2 (N=182, p=0.018 in the abdominal depot) and HCAR3 (N=198, p=0.005) but surprisingly in opposite directions, establishing it as the first cis-eQTL for this genomic region.
Finally, I used human adipocyte in vitro culture systems to setup a pilot to study the anti-inflammatory effects of NA. The gene expression of HCAR2 and HCAR3 increased significantly with adipocyte differentiation in vitro. NA led to a drop in IL-6 transcript abundance in two out of three of the in vitro differentiated human adipocytes.
In conclusion, genetic variability in HCAR2 and HCAR3 shows weak associations with cardiovascular disease risk phenotypes relating to their respective pathways. The relevance of HCAR2 and HCAR3 gene expression and the role of the receptor in the control of inflammation will require further studies.

Keywords: polymorphisms
genetics
adipose tissue
niacin
nicotinic acid receptor
human
Advisor: Karpe, F
Neville, M
Models for intuitionistic logic

In this work I develop a formalization (M-L) of Martin-Löf type theory, the main concern being an accurate definition of what it is to be a model of M-L. Using this definition, I proceed with actual models of M-L (mainly realizability models) to establish the relative consistency of many intuitionistic principles. In addition to their consistency I investigate their interrelationship. The strongest principles which are shown to be consistent with M-L are Church's Thesis and the Fan Theorem.
The expressive power of M-L is used to formalize certain theories. The Theory of Real Numbers, an Intuitionistic Set Theory and Category Theory are all formalizable. The constructions of the latter are used to describe Kripke Models of M-L.
Finally, I prove that the subsystem of M-L obtained by dropping the rules for cartesian products of types and without rules for universes of types has proof theoretic ordinal ωω.
A critical study of the literary works of J.A. Froude with special reference to the novels, the essays and the biography of Carlyle

James Anthony Froude (l8l8-94) was one of the most prolific, versatile and controversial writers of his age. An early work, The Nemesis of Faith (l849), a fascinating novel of faith and doubt, was publicly burnt during a lecture at Oxford. His History of England from the Fall of Volsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada (1856-70) earned its uncompromisingly Protestant author a popularity which rivalled that of Macaulay. His Short Studies on Great Subjects (1st series, 1867) contains some of his most provocative essays on theological, philosophical and political topics, many of which had previously appeared in journals such as Fraser's Magazine which Froude edited from l86l to 1874. As Carlyle's literary executor and authorised biographer, Froude wrote what has been referred to as the first modern biography : when it appeared in 1882-84 it provoked a storm of controversy even more virulent than that occasioned by his study of the Irish problem in The English in Ireland in the Eighteenth Century (1872-74). Shortly before he was appointed Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford, Froude travelled widely (partly as an official Government representative), and his experiences are vividly recorded in works such as Oceana (l886), an engaging if partisan portrayal of life in the colonies.
The picture which emerges from a reading of his works is of an interesting, intelligent and accomplished author. However, Froude has been curiously Lgnored by critics of nineteenth-century literature. Few of his works are in print, and although a number of articles and two biographies have been written about him, a book considering his literary achievement has yet to appear. It is my contention that he has been unjustly neglected.
The significance of his works is two-fold. First, they are interesting in terms of their art. In his mature writings Froude's handling of narrative and his prose style are especially impressive. Secondly (and perhaps more importantly) his works are of great interest to the student of Victorian ideas for the light they shed on a whole range of issues and questions which preoccupied many of Froude's contemporaries.
In this thesis I examine the thought and art of Froude's literary productions. The opening chapter provides a broad overview of his published works including his historical writings and his travel books. Successive chapters deal in some detail with his four novels (the two short novels published under the title Shadows of the Clouds, The Nemesis of Faith and The Two Chiefs of Dunboy), a selection of his essays and literary criticism, and his biography of Carlyle and the controversy which surrounded it. These texts (and especially the Carlyle biography), the most interesting and important of his works, are considered both as literary artefacts and as documents of value to the historian of ideas. The critical reception each work enjoyed is discussed where appropriate. In the conclusion I define and evaluate the precise nature of Froude's contribution to English letters.
The activation of small molecules using frustrated Lewis pairs

This thesis describes the activation of small molecules using frustrated Lewis pairs, in particular investigating their use to reduce CO₂ to methanol, thus producing a new route towards a renewable fuel.
Chapter One summarises the requirement for a renewable fuel source, the alternative methods currently available and previous research conducted into converting CO₂ to methanol using FLPs and other reducing agents.
Chapter Two describes the synthesis of a new family of electron-deficient tris(aryl)boranes, B(C₆F₅)3-x(C₆Cl₅)x (x = 1-3), allowing the electronic effects, resulting from the gradual replacement of C₆F₅ with C₆Cl₅ ligands, to be studied. The novel Lewis acids have been fully characterised and their Lewis acidities have been determined using NMR spectroscopy, electrochemistry and DFT studies.
Chapter Three discusses the synthesis of nine novel FLPs and their use to successfully split H2. Each borohydride salt has been spectroscopically fully characterised and five of the salts have been characterised using single crystal X-ray diffraction. To determine the exact positions of the H atoms, single crystal neutron diffraction and DFT experiments were carried out on [1-H][H-TMP].
Chapter Four details attempts to use the borohydride salts, synthesised in Chapter Three, to reduce CO₂ to methanol. Each experiment was been fully investigated and their catalytic viability was determined. The X-ray crystal structure of [1-OCHO][H-TMP] is described and each formatoborate and methoxyborate salt were fully characterised.
Chapter Five describes experimental procedures and characterisation data.

Keywords: frustrated Lewis pairs
methanol economy
hydrogen activation
Advisor: O'Hare, D
A study of the style and iconography of Etruscan engraved gems

This thesis examines the development of the art of gem engraving in Etruria between the years from ca 520 to ca 470 BC. It is divided into two parts, the first of which is an analysis of the style of the intaglios, and the second an analysis of the iconography. In Part One attributions to individual hands or groups are suggested, and conventional names supplied; the relationships of the engravers both to each other and to the late archaic Greek schools are examined. In Part Two the iconography of the intaglios is examined both internally and against the wider background of Etruscan and Greek art;- where relevant, comparison is also made with the literary tradition; this study concerns itself only with the human figure, and the chapters are arranged around cycles of myth and the individual figure types.
Augustine's conversion from traditional free choice to "non-free free will": a comprehensive methodology

This thesis will explore whether Augustine of Hippo altered his theological views and what influences might have precipitated the alleged modifications. Augustine’s early "De libero arbitrio" argued for an individual’s ability to respond freely to God while his later anti-Pelagian writings rejected any human ability to believe until God infuses grace creating belief as his gift. Does his theology exhibit continuity or discontinuity?
Four commonplace assertions within Augustinian studies are questioned in this thesis:
1.) Augustine changed his theology in AD 396,
2.) while he was writing the letter to Bishop Simplicianus (Simpl.),
3.) with his transition occurring through reading scripture (Rom.7, 9;1 Cor.15),
4.) which he developed through merely modifying prevalent doctrines.
No scholarly work has researched Augustine’s entire corpus from AD 386–430 specifically analyzing his theology in the five final doctrines of: 1.) God giving initial faith as a gift, 2.) inherited damnable reatus from Adam, 3.) the gift of perseverance, 4.) unilateral pre-determination of persons’s eternal destinies independently of foreknowledge, and 5.) God’s neither desiring nor providing for the salvation of all persons. Only a comprehensive methodological approach—reading systematically, chronologically, and comprehensively through his entire corpus—can legitimately demonstrate changes.
Did a Patristic consensus exist regarding post-Adamic free choice? What was Augustine’s contribution to this theology? To what degree did the combination of Stoicism, Neoplatonism, and Manichaeism contribute to his liberum arbitrium captivatum?
Chapters include an introduction followed by chapters on free choice versus determinism in the: 1.) ancient philosophical-religious world, 2.) Christian authors AD 95–215, 3.) Christian authors AD 216–430, 4.) Augustine’s works AD 386–395, 5.) Augustine’s works AD 396–411, 6.) Augustine’s works AD 412–426, 7.) Augustine’s works AD 427–430, 8.) sermons and epistles, 9.) Augustine’s exegesis of scripture, and 10.) conclusion. Conclusions will be established via extensive primary quotations and references with supporting secondary sources.

Keywords: ad simplicianum
Augustine
Stoicism
Manichaeism
Neoplatonism
determinism
free will
grace
Advisor: Edwards, M
Development of ligands to target bromodomain-histone interactions

Histone acetylation is an epigenetic post-translational modification recognised by the bromodomain, a protein module that forms part of multi-component complexes affecting transcription. This interaction plays fundamental cellular roles, and shows association with particular diseases including inflammation and cancer. The biological roles of bromodomains and the progress of ligands developed so far has been summarised in introductory Chapter 1.
Work within the group has led to the development of a nanomolar ligand for BRD4, a BET bromodomain implicated in cancer and numerous diseases. Evaluation in an NCI-60 cancer cell screen indicated antiproliferative activity in a variety of cancer types. However, metabolic predictions indicate that this compound is unoptimised for use in vivo. Chapter 2 describes synthesis of a collection of analogues to improve the physical and pharmacokinetic properties of this series of compounds. This work identified compounds with equivalent affinity but greater predicted metabolic stability, as well as more potent derivatives. This research will direct the design of potent and metabolically stable derivatives that can be used in animal models.
Chapter 3 describes work carried out towards the development of small molecules to target bromodomains for which there are no known ligands, using the FALZ bromodomain as an initial target. A fragment-based approach has identified a number of compounds that bind to different non-BET bromodomains. These fragments will be a useful starting point for the development of more potent and selective non-BET bromodomain ligands.
As well as acetylated lysines, a number of other acylation post-translational modifications occur on lysine residues. Chapter 4 describes work carried out to investigate the interaction of other acylated lysine residues with bromodomains. This work highlighted that other acylated lysines can interact with bromodomains, and selectivity for particular bromodomains can also be achieved. These modified lysines could be incorporated into cognate peptides to improve in vitro peptide displacement assays, aiding the development of small molecular bromodomain probes.

Keywords: bromodomains
KAc
epigenetics
acetyl lysine
epigenetic probes
Advisor: Conway, S
Humphreys, P
Studies in the chemistry of glutarimides

This thesis describes investigations made into the chemistry of C-4 substituted glutarimides. It develops two contrasting approaches to this goal, which reflect the previous synthetic interests in the area. The glutarimides made were screened for potential agrochemical actions at Shell Research Centre, Sittingbourne.
The anti-Leukemia alkaloid sesbanimide has prompted much recent work into the formation of glutarimides attached to functionalised precursors. This chemistry was developed by the formation of a glutarimide from C-5 of xylodialdofuranose, using standard methods. Wittig extension of the aldehyde, followed by Michael addition of malonate and dealkoxycarbonylation gave a glutarate diester, this was converted to the glutarimide via an anhydride. A glutarimide was similarly constructed from a β-ribose residue, forming an analogue of the β-C-nucleosides. An approach to the epimeric α- ribo-glutarimide was also made. The α- and β-riboaldehydes, from which the glutarimides were elaborated, were each formed stereospecifically by the ring contractions of a pyranose triflate.
Synthetic interest towards the so-called glutarimide antibiotics has centred around the elaboration of a side chain attached to a pre-formed glutarimide. The common precursors in this work were glutarimides attached via C-4 to β-acetyl functions. The corresponding side chain in this work was activated, in a novel manner, by the formation of a stabilized ylid at that centre. Wittig reactions between this ylid and a number of carbonyl compounds were achieved. Some of these Wittig products were elaborated further, a number of simple heterocycles were thus formed, attached to glutarimide via a 1-carbon extension. Using a carbohydrate derived side chain an attempt to form a glutarimide attached to a shikimate-related residue was made, by means of an intramolecular aldol cyclisation.
An N-substituted glutarimide was formed in a novel reaction between an iminophosphorane and glutaric anhydride.
Many of these synthetic glutarimides exhibited some biological activity.

Advisor: Fleet, G
The resigned, the restless and the resilient: risk perceptions among Afghan migrants in Turkey

This thesis seeks to account for diversity in the migratory decisions of Afghan migrants who have recently arrived in Turkey. It proposes that social theories on risk provide a framework that rectifies a theoretical gap in the migration literature with respect to intra-group heterogeneity in the decision-making processes of migrants.
The thesis adopts Rosa’s (1998: 28) definition of risk as: ‘a situation or event where something of human value (including humans themselves) has been put at stake and where the outcome is uncertain.' I argue that variation in what migrants view as being ‘at stake’ and in how they evaluate the associated uncertainties— in other words, how migrants perceive risk— accounts for the diversity in the migration decisions of similarly situated migrants. Risk is therefore an analytical tool for understanding decision-making in its subjective and socio-cultural context. The thesis offers a typology as an analytical device for categorising the ways in which informants managed the risks associated with migration decisions. I identify three modes of managing risk, defined as resigned, restless and resilient, on the basis of migrants’ engagements with their social environment, their efforts at advocating for themselves and others, and their ability to gather and disseminate information.
The thesis also explores subsidiary themes concerning migrants’ legal consciousness with regard to irregular immigration status, and the process of embodying the physical and emotional consequences of migration. Most of the ethnographic fieldwork for this project was conducted in the cities of Istanbul, Van, Kayseri and Sivas from February 2011 until December 2012.

Keywords: risk
migration
Afghan migrants
asylum
decision-making
Turkey
Advisor: Shaw, A
Franck, D
NATO’s Mediterranean initiative, 1994-2009 security community building on Europe’s periphery?

Is NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue an example of a security community? The thesis utilizes the theories of socialization, security communities, and constructivism in an effort to identify signs of a security community in the Mediterranean. This is achieved through a content analysis of NATO Mediterranean Dialogue seminars, conferences, and military exercises.

Keywords: socialization
NATO
security community
Advisor: Pravda, A
An investigation into theory completion techniques in inductive logic programming

Traditional Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) focuses on the setting where the target theory is a generalisation of the observations. This is known as Observational Predicate Learning (OPL). In the Theory Completion setting the target theory is not in the same predicate as the observations (non-OPL). This thesis investigates two alternative simple extensions to traditional ILP to perform non-OPL or Theory Completion. Both techniques perform extraction-case abduction from an existing background theory and one seed observation. The first technique -- Logical Back-propagation -- modifies the existing background theory so that abductions can be achieved by a form of constructive negation using a standard SLD-resolution theorem prover. The second technique -- SOLD-resolution -- modifies the theorem prover, and leaves the existing background theory unchanged. It is shown that all abductions produced by Logical Back-propagation can also be generated by SOLD-resolution; but the reverse does not hold. The implementation using the SOLD-resolution technique -- the ALECTO system -- was applied to the problems of completing context free and context dependant grammars; and learning Event Calculus programs. It was successfully able to learn an Event Calculus program to control the navigation of a real-life robot. The Event Calculus is a formalism to represent common-sense knowledge. It follows that the discovery of some common-sense knowledge was produced with the assistance of a machine.

Keywords: theory revision
SOLD-resolution
inductive logic programming
logical back-propagation
machine learning
abduction
theory completion
event calculus
Advisor: Muggleton, S
Hoare, CAR
Srinivasan, A