VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Education for citizenship in a plural society

The thesis aims to suggest directions towards a defensible conception of citizenship and approach to citizenship education in Singapore. In recent years, citizenship in Singapore has centred around the themes of identity and participation. Among educationists in general, there is a recognition that citizens need to be prepared for involvement in the political process. In plural societies, however, there is no one set of values which can guide deliberation and resolve differences. Consequently, there are questions as to the values which could be advocated in citizenship education.
The approach in this thesis is to analyse the concept of citizenship, with due consideration given to the values and assumptions of Singapore society, and its social, political and economic circumstances. This analysis is carried out in the light of the research and theorising on citizenship and citizenship education in England and Wales.
Controversial issues exist on which there is no agreement on which society is divided. The neutral approach, which is sometimes suggested as being appropriate for handling such issues, is examined. The larger question of state neutrality is also discussed, and a case is made for state perfectionism. In addition, it is argued that there are legitimate variations in moral judgement, and an account is presented of the nature of moral thinking that admits of such variations.
It is suggested that a common culture is important in a plural society because this provides the grounds for policy decisions, particularly where state perfectionism is espoused; it also allows for the development of a national identity. Developing this common culture requires public deliberation in exploring the values and issues concerning a society.
Finally, the arguments that have been presented are related to citizenship and citizenship education in Singapore, and recommendations made.
Raman memory for entanglement in diamonds and light storage in optical fibres

Light, when reduced to the level of individual quanta, can possess, besides its familiar properties of wavelength, direction, and polarization, a set of correlations irreducible to classical correlations, among other peculiar behaviour. These correlated states are intrinsically interesting, and are also useful for quantum-enhanced information processing. In this thesis, I use a high-bandwidth, far-off-resonant Raman memory to implement two quantum information primitives -- entanglement generation and light storage -- at room temperature and ambient conditions. Specifically, I show, for the first time, the entanglement of two solid-state objects at room temperature and, also, the storage of light in a hollow-core optical fibre.
In the first part, I show that the optical phonon modes of two diamonds can be entangled -- the prototypical non-classical correlation -- at room temperature. The entanglement was generated by spontaneous Raman scattering with projective measurements using single-photon detectors. The degree of entanglement was rigorously quantified by measuring the concurrence -- an entanglement monotone -- of the joint state of the scattered optical fields. In the second part, I store light in the coherent superposition of cesium atoms confined within a kagome-structured hollow-core photonic crystal fibre at room temperature using a far-off-resonant stimulated Raman interaction. The storage efficiency of the memory was 27pm
1% and the noise level was sufficiently low such that single-photon-level pulses could be stored. Taken together, these results highlight the potential of Raman memories for quantum information tasks in noisy systems with short coherence times.

Keywords: optical physics
quantum optics
Advisor: Walmsley, I
Commissioning of a novel electrostatic accelerator for nuclear medicine

Siemens Corporate Technology New Technology Fields Healthcare & Technology Concepts (CT NTF HTC) have proposed a novel electrostatic accelerator for nuclear medicine which aims at gradients of up to 10 MV m-1. With beam currents of 100 μA at ≈10 MeV it might replace cyclotrons whilst being simpler, more reliable and more cost effective. The accelerator concept consists of concentric hemispherical metallic shells spaced by insulators and placed in a vacuum system. The shells are interconnected by high voltage diodes so that they form a voltage multiplier with its highest voltage in its centre. Particle beams can be accelerated towards the centre through a set of holes in the shells. In tandem mode, with a stripper in the centre and a negative ion source as injector, beams of twice the centre voltage can be achieved.
This thesis presents several commissioning milestones of a test system for the novel electrostatic accelerator, thus validating the concept for commercial applications. An inter shell insulator has been designed and successfully tested to fields of 12 MV m-1. A diode protection concept has been devised and validated in realistic breakdown scenarios. An AC drive system including control software has been developed, delivering a sinusoidal input voltage of up to 140 kV peak to peak at 80 kHz. An automatic process to carefully commission the high voltage system in vacuum has been created, implemented in a control system and successfully operated. A 4-shell prototype with these components has been successfully tested with achieved gradients of up to 5.5 MV m-1. A negative hydrogen ion source has been constructed, commissioned and characterised with a purposely developed wire grid. Beam currents beyond 200 μA have been achieved. Beam transport from the ion source through the 7-shell system has been demonstrated in simulations which are based on experimental data from the ion source characterisation. A stripper system has been designed and constructed.

Keywords: accelerator
isotope
nuclear medicine
electrostatic
radioisotope
Advisor: Seryi, A
Beasley, P
Isoenzyme specific PFK-2/FBPas-2 inhibition as an anti-cancer strategy 

High aerobic glycolytic capacity is correlated with poor prognosis and increased tumour aggressiveness. 6Phosphofructo-1-kinase catalyses the first irreversible step of glycolysis, and is activated by fructose-2,6-bisphosphate, a product of the kinase activity of four bifunctional isoenzymes, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase (PFK-2/FBPase-2:PFKFB1-4). These are potential anti-tumour targets, but their individual and collective role requires further investigation.
This thesis had three aims; to validate the PFK-2/FBPase-2 isoenzymes as anti-cancer targets, to investigate the requirement for isoenzyme-specific targeting, and to initiate assay development, enabling future identification of novel inhibitors.
A panel of cancer cell lines was examined and PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 were confirmed to be the most strongly induced isoenzymes in hypoxia, regulated by HIF-1α. Basal and hypoxic relative PFKFB3/PFKFB4 expression varied markedly, and three cell lines with varying expression ratios (MCF-7, U87, PC3) were selected for further study.
siRNA knockdown of each isoenzyme individually, markedly reduced 2D and 3D cell growth. The effect of PFKFB3 knockdown was consistently more pronounced, particularly in hypoxia. Double PFKFB3/PFKFB4 knockdown was significantly less effective than PFKFB3 knockdown alone. Direct antagonism of PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 on F-2,6-BP concentration was observed, with PFKFB3 exhibiting high kinase activity, as anticipated, and PFKFB4 exhibiting high bisphosphatase activity. The degree of antagonism was dependent on the relative PFKFB3/PFKFB4 expression ratio.
Extensive efforts were made to examine the wider metabolic effect of PFKFB3/PFKFB4 on flux towards glycolysis or the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), including using metabolite, lipid droplet, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry assays. No significant change in metabolic flux was detected, the evidence presented therefore suggesting the impact of the antagonistic effects of the isoenzymes on [F-2,6-BP] extends beyond regulation of metabolic flux alone.
This study concluded that the most effective therapeutic strategy will be one that involves a PFKFB3-specific inhibitor, preferably hypoxia-targeted. Accordingly, steps were taken to validate and optimise a robust medium-throughput assay system.

Keywords: FBPase-2
Glycolysis
PFKFB3
Small Molecule Inhibitior
PFK-2
Hypoxia
Pentose Phosphate Pathway
Metabolism
PFKFB1
PFKFB4
PFKFB2
Advisor: Harris, A
Russell, A
Polyyne rotaxanes

This thesis describes the synthesis of polyyne rotaxanes and an investigation of their excited state photophysical properties. The threading of dumbbell-shaped carbon chains with macrocyclic components is a way to mechanically insulate and control the environment around the carbon chains. The resulting polyyne rotaxanes can serve as model compounds for insulated carbyne. Different strategies have been tested for the synthesis of polyyne rotaxanes with different topologies and structures. Study of rotaxanes in the excited states reveals strong electronic communication between an acetylenic thread and a macrocycle.
Chapter 1 summarizes the field of acetylene scaffolding, introducing some recent achievements in acetylene chemistry. General synthetic methods for polyynes are discussed, and an introduction to active metal template synthesis of rotaxanes is given.
Chapter 2 describes the synthesis of a family of polyyne rotaxanes with different axle lengths and macrocycles, prepared by homocoupling of terminal alkynes. Synthesis of hexayne rotaxane with functional pyridine end-group is presented and a number of crystal structures of polyyne rotaxanes are analyzed.
Chapter 3 demonstrates the use of acetylene cross-coupling in the synthesis of rotaxanes. Synthesis of rotaxanes with different topological structure is provided.
Chapter 4 details the excited state properties of polyynes studied by time -resolved spectroscopy. The complexes of rhenium(I) carbonyls with rotaxanes is presented and the excited state energy transfer in rotaxanes is studied.
Chapter 5 explores new synthetic strategies for polyyne rotaxanes, using "masked" precursors. It also highlights the potential of carbenoid rearrangement of alkyliden es for the construction of linear and cyclic architectures.
Chapter 6 is the summary of the project and general discussion of future directions.
There are two appendices in the end of thesis: Appendix A covers the photophysics of rhenium tricarbonyl complex of the hexayne rotaxane with a small macrocycle and Appendix B reports work towards the synthesis of rotaxanes with platinum(II)-alkyne complexes.

Keywords: rotaxanes
Time-resolved spectroscopy
Polyynes
Photophysics
Advisor: Anderson, H
Models of bilingual education in majority language contexts: an exploratory study of bilingual programmes in qatari primary schools

The purpose of this thesis was to explore and describe how bilingual programmes are organized and implemented within the unique linguistic and socio-economic case of Qatar. Specifically the thesis explored bilingual programs offered by two types of primary schools in Qatar: international schools and independent schools. Qatar launched a new initiative for educational development in 2001 but with hardly any research linked to these changes.
The study was positioned within a qualitative interpretive tradition drawing on elements of ethnography and grounded theory as tools of methodology. However, quantitative methods were also incorporated within the design. The research design is structured within two main phases: phase one included statistical analysis of secondary data investigating three variables: average teaching time in the first and the second language, students’ and teachers’ nationality. Phase two utilized a multi-case study design. One school from each type was examined in depth over a period of nine weeks. Data were collected by means of school documents, interviews, and non-participant observation of English and Arabic classes.
The first phase made an initial impression of the model of bilingual education followed by international and independent schools compared to bilingual typologies found in the literature. The analysis of the two cases examined revealed various differences across the two types. Findings reveal that the international school followed a partial immersion type of programme while the independent school followed a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) type of programme. The study reveals that the Qatari bilingual schools context was one of heteroglossia, with three codes in operation: Modern Standard Arabic, Colloquial Arabic dialects and English. Findings reveal that teachers and students in the international school adopt a strict separation policy between the two languages following a monoglossic belief. Language teachers and students in the independent school were found to apply a flexible language policy inside English and Arabic classes. The study revealed a gap between claimed programme features and implementation of these features. An absence of a clear language policy in the schools was also a main finding relating to the practice of these schools.
In light of these findings, adopting a clear and explicit language-in-education policy should be a priority for policy makers in Qatar. The study revealed how the diglossia situation in Qatari schools is unique and therefore schools must be aware of the languages at the disposal of students and teachers. Schools must also concentrate on developing academic language skills needed for success in L2 schooling.

Keywords: language policy
language education
bilingual programmes
bilingual education
Advisor: Murphy, V
Macaro, E
The financing of entrepreneurial firms in the UK: a comparison of business angel and venture capitalist investment procedures

Although just a minority of all small firms in the UK, high-growth entrepreneurial ventures are becoming widely recognised for their role in job growth and economic prosperity. However, due to their inherently high-risk nature, many of these early-stage firms experience difficulty in securing outside finance from institutional investors, which ultimately limits their growth and economic potential.
Fortunately, two investor types, business angels (BAs) and venture capitalists (VCs), do fund a small proportion of these entrepreneurial ventures, although they, especially BAs, often have much more financial capital available for such investments. Since many aspects of BA and VC investment processes remain unknown, it is hoped that a better understanding of how and why these investors fund particular investments may aid in further lessening the entrepreneurial funding problem.
This research study, therefore, conducts the first-ever detailed comparison of the investment criteria and procedures of these two financiers across the full investment process. To make the study more robust, a theoretical base is adopted (based on agency theory) to form research hypotheses which propose that BAs and VCs in the UK may use different approaches to limit potential agency risks in their investments (i.e. the risks associated with an entrepreneur's potential misuse of the investor's money). Utilising data from 40 personal interviews and 262 questionnaire responses, this study empirically supports the main hypothesised notion that, although both investors reduce agency risks at all stages of the investment process, BAs place more emphasis on doing so ex-post investment (the incomplete contracts approach), whilst VCs stress doing so more ex-ante investment (the principal-agent approach).
In supporting the hypothese, empirical information is gathered about each investment stage and each investor group's heterogeneity. Possible implications of these findings are then discussed in the hope of aiding, no matter how slightly, the funding efficiency of small entrepreneurial firms.

Keywords: investment
business angels
entrepreneurial firms
venture capitalists
Advisor: Mayer, C
Grint, K
Secondary Sonic Boom

This thesis aims to resolve some open questions about sonic boom, and particularly secondary sonic boom, which arises from long-range propagation in a non-uniform atmosphere. We begin with an introduction to sonic boom modelling and outline the current state of research. We then proceed to review standard results of gas dynamics and we prove a new theorem, similar to Kelvin's circulation theorem, but valid in the presence of shocks. We then present the definitions used in sonic boom theory, in the framework of linear acoustics for stationary and for moving non-uniform media. We present the wavefront patterns and ray patterns for a series of analytical examples for propagation from steadily moving supersonic point sources in stratified media. These examples elucidate many aspects of the long-range propagation of sound and in particular of secondary sonic boom. The formation of foldcaustics′ofb∞mraysisakeyfeature.Thefocusingofl∈earwavesandweakshockwavesiscompared.Next,∈order→addresstheconsistent≈imationofsonicb∞mamplitudes,weconsidersteadymotionof⊇rsonicth∈aerofoilsands≤nderaξsymmetricbodies∈auniformmedium,andweusethemethodofmatchedasymp→ticexpansions(MAE)→giveaconsistentderivationofWhitham′smodelfornonl∈eareffects∈primaryb∞manalysis.sinceforsecondaryb∞m,asforprimary,the∈clusionofnonl∈earitiesisessentialforacorrectestimationoftheamplitudes,wethenstudytheparadigmprob≤mofath∈aerofoilmov∈gsteadily∈aweaklystratifiedmediumwithahorizontalw∈d.Weaga∈useMAE→calca̲te≈imationsoftheEe̲requations;thisrest̲s∈an∈homo≥≠ousk∈ematicwaveequation.Return∈g→thel∈earacousticsamework,forap∮sourcet
ˆ
a
e≤ratesanddece≤ratesthroughthesoundspeed∈auniformmediumwecalca̲tethewavefield∈thetime-domain'. Certain other motions of interest are also illustrated. In the accelerating and in the manoeuvring motions fold caustics that are essentially the same as those from steady motions in stratified atmospheres again arise. We also manage to pinpoint a scenario where a `cusp caustic' of boomrays forms instead. For the accelerating motions the asymptotic analysis of the wavefield reveals the formation of singularities which are incompatible with linear theory; this suggests the re-introduction of nonlinear effects. However, it is a formidable task to solve such a nonlinear problem in two or three dimensions, so we solve a related one-dimensional problem instead. Its solution possesses an unexpectedly rich structure that changes as the strength of nonlinearity varies. In all cases however we find that the singularities of the linear problem are regularised by the nonlinearity.
Algebraic modules for finite groups

The main focus of this thesis is algebraic modules---modules that satisfy a polynomial equation with integer co-efficients in the Green ring---in various finite groups, as well as their general theory. In particular, we ask the question `when are all the simple modules for a finite group G algebraic?' We call this the (p-)SMA property. The first chapter introduces the topic and deals with preliminary results, together with the trivial first results. The second chapter provides the general theory of algebraic modules, with particular attention to the relationship between algebraic modules and the composition factors of a group, and between algebraic modules and the Heller operator and Auslander--Reiten quiver. The third chapter concerns itself with indecomposable modules for dihedral and elementary abelian groups. The study of such groups is both interesting in its own right, and can be applied to studying simple modules for simple groups, such as the sporadic groups in the final chapter. The fourth chapter analyzes the groups PSL(2,q); here we determine, in characteristic 2, which simple modules for PSL(2,q) are algebraic, for any odd q. The fifth chapter generalizes this analysis to many groups of Lie type, although most results here are in defining characteristic only. Notable exceptions include the small Ree groups, which have the 2-SMA property for all q. The sixth and final chapter focuses on the sporadic groups: for most groups we provide results on some simple modules, and some of the groups are completely analyzed in all characteristics. This is normally carried out by restricting to the Sylow p-subgroup. This thesis develops the current state of knowledge concerning algebraic modules for finite groups, and particularly for which simple groups, and for which primes, all simple modules are algebraic.

Keywords: tensor product
representation theory
Algebraic modules
Advisor: Collins, M
Genetic regulation of Kranz anatomy

The C₄ photosynthetic cycle acts to concentrate CO₂ around the enzyme Rubisco. By doing so, C₄ photosynthesis leads to increased radiation, water and nitrogen use efficiencies. As such, C₄ photosynthesis is the most productive form of photosynthesis known. Because it enables such high levels of productivity there are large international efforts to introduce C₄ photosynthesis into non-C₄ crop species such as rice. Kranz anatomy is a characteristic leaf cellular arrangement of concentric rings of bundle sheath and mesophyll cells around closely spaced veins and is crucial to C₄ photosynthesis in almost all known examples. Despite the fact that Kranz has evolved on over 60 times independently little is known about the genetic regulation of Kranz development, as attempts to elucidate Kranz regulators using conventional mutagenesis screens have provided few insights. However, the advent of next generation DNA sequencing technologies has enabled the interrogation of genetic networks at a previously unprecedented scale. The work in this thesis describes a genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of leaf development in maize, a C₄ species, that develops both Kranz-type and non-Kranz-type leaves. Detailed bioinformatics analyses identified candidate regulators of both Kranz development and additional aspects of maize leaf development. Three of the identified Kranz candidates were functionally characterised in both C₄ and non-C₄ species. Furthermore, expression and phylogenetic analyses of GOLDEN2-LIKE (GLK) genes, a small transcription factor family previously implicated in C₄ development in maize, were extended to determine the generality of GLK function in C₄ evolution.

Keywords: Setaria
rice
C4
leaf development
Kranz
maize
transcriptomics
Advisor: Langdale, J
The role of LATS1 in DNA damage signalling

Genomic DNA is constantly exposed to assaults, which if not dealt with, can lead to genomic instability and carcinogenesis. In response to stress including either Ionising Radiation (IR) or replication stress, ATM and ATR promote the activation of cell cycle checkpoints and initiate repair of DNA damage. Recent studies have revealed that ATM signalling can activate LATS1 via a cascade through RASSF1A and MST2. LATS1 is a tumour suppressor, which forms a barrier to carcinogenesis restricting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis by stabilising a YAP/p73 transcriptional complex, hence upregulating p73 responsive genes. LATS1 is inactivated through promoter hypermethylation in a number of cancer types including breast cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. This research project seeks to define the mechanism through which LATS1 is involved in IR-induced DNA damage signalling. The data presented in this thesis shows that LATS1 controls CDK2 and regulates phosphorylation of S3291 on BRCA2. Cells lacking LATS1 exhibited enhanced accumulation of damage-induced Rad51 foci leading to cell cycle arrest at the G2/M checkpoint. Furthermore, the data presented here suggests that LATS1 may not be required for homologous recombination. This work supports the hypothesis that LATS1 inhibits CDK2-dependent phosphorylation of BRCA2 at S3291, hence protecting stalled replication forks from nucleolytic degradation.

Keywords: DNA Damage Repair
Cancer Research
LATS1
Tumour Suppressor
Replication Fork Stabilisation
Advisor: O'Neill, E
Helleday, T