VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Relations and agency in a transnational context: The Afghan diaspora and its engagements for change in Afghanistan

This thesis is about the lives and civic engagements of Afghans in Germany and the UK. It shows how Afghans living in these two countries relate to Afghanistan, and to what extent they engage in transnational action aimed at promoting change there. In particular, it explores the emergence of diasporic communities and how members exercise agency as development actors in Afghanistan. The research rests on a qualitative case study conducted among Afghan populations in Germany and the UK. Semi-structured interviews and participant observation were primary methods of data collection. Relational sociology is used to capture emerging social identities, patterns of social organisation and forms of social engagement. A first notable finding is that Afghan populations abroad are fractured and cannot be seen as a united diaspora. People tend to coalesce in narrowly defined subgroups rather than under a shared national identity. Second, Afghanistan remains a crucial reference point, notwithstanding fragmented social organisation. Home country attachments tend to be tied to a desire for change and development in the country. Third, despite these shared concerns, transnational engagements are typically carried out by small groups and directed towards confined social spheres. Although people may take action in the name of an imagined Afghan community or an imaginary Afghanistan, this imagined community does not provide a basis for social mobilisation. Thus Afghans do not act as a cohesive diaspora. Fourth, transnational engagements are often a response to the specificities of the social environments in which people are embedded, notably their host countries. The findings show that a relational approach can specify how different dimensions of people’s social identities drive social action and are shaped in interaction with various elements of their social context. Such an actor-centred perspective helps to improve our understanding of how members of diasporas come to engage with their countries of origin.

Keywords: Civic Engagement
Transnationalism
Structure and Agency
Afghanistan
Diaspora
Advisor: Bakewell, O
Fluorescence studies of influenza RNA and RNA polymerase

The influenza A virus genome consists of eight single-stranded segments of negativesense viral RNA (vRNA) with highly conserved, partially complementary termini. These termini associate in a double-stranded RNA structure, known as a panhandle, which is bound by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and can serve as a promoter in both viral transcription and replication.
In part A of this thesis, I use a combination of classical biochemistry techniques and fluorescence techniques (both at the ensemble and single-molecule level) for a quantitative investigation of the interaction between purified influenza A RNA polymerase and the individual 5' and 3' conserved termini of the vRNA segments, as well as the double-stranded vRNA promoter. Furthermore, I report the first direct, real-time observation of the promoter changing its structure when bound by the polymerase and show that the structure assumed agrees best with the corkscrew model.
In part B of this thesis, I use fluorescence to detect RNA: I design and test a singlemolecule biosensor aimed at probing the presence of influenza A RNA in a sample, on the one hand, and I use click-chemistry to fluorescently label very shorty RNAs (3-25nt) that have been generated in an in vitro transcription reaction, on the other. The biosensing assay I propose can be further developed for diagnostic purposed, while click-chemistry labelling of short RNAs can be optimised and extended such that it becomes a reliable alternative to the use of radiolabels.

Keywords: polymerase
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
microscopy
influezna
fluorescence
RNA
Advisor: Kapanidis, A
Judicial decision in hostile environments: judges, executives, and the public in Argentina (2004-2010) 

The central argument of this work is that the level of aggression of judges sitting in vulnerable courts is a function of their attempt to protect the institutional security of such courts. I argue that in contexts characterised by a lack of a culture of judicial independence, by high levels of judicial delegitimisation, and a high level of public visibility of judicial affairs, judges will attempt to simultaneously construct public support and avoid political conflicts with the Government. As a result, judicial decisions are driven by judges’ calculations of both the public’s reaction and the Government’s reaction to their rulings. I claim the level of aggression of judges’ interventions will increase when the Government's tolerance to decisions against its preferences was is higher and the public appears to be more supportive.
I empirically test this theory using the case of Argentine Supreme Court Justices between July 2004 and September 2010. The findings confirm the theoretical expectations according to which judges are simultaneously concerned with the construction of public support and the avoidance of conflicts with the Government. In addition, my study shows three relevant patterns in terms of judicial behaviour. First, the Justices increased their level of aggression by using different modes of involvement when the public appeared to be more supportive and the Government’s tolerance higher during the period under study. Second, the decreased level of aggression occurred by altering the features of the same remedy in response to the political conditions in which decisions were issued. Third, existing legal constraints prevented Justices from being more aggressive.

Keywords: judicialisation of politics
judicial politics
law and politics
Advisor: Martin, P
Microstructural characterization of heteroepitaxial layers of III-V compound semiconductors

This work describes results obtained from TEM, TED and HREM studies of MBE and MOCVD InASySb1-y, MOCVD InxGa1-xAs, MOCVD InPySb1-y and MOCVD GaPySb1-y layers which were grown over a wide range of conditions. These semiconductor layers are of considerable importance for a variety of applications in optoelectronic and high-speed devices.
TEM/TED investigations showed that phase separation occurs in MBE InAsSb layers, resulting in two phases with platelet structures ~5 to ~200nm thick approximately parallel to the layer surface. Phase separation was dependent on growth temperature and layer composition. Anisotropic geometry of the platelets was observed when viewed in the [110] and [110] directions. The compositions of the two phases were derived by TED and EDX analyses. A model for the phase-separated layers was proposed based on the presence of a miscibility gap and using the lateral and island growth mechanisms.
TEM results of InGaAs, InPSb and GaPSb layers showed a fine scale modulated contrast (8-20nm in scale) which is a characteristic of alloy clustering occurring by spinodal decomposition, and a fine scale speckle contrast (4-5nm in scale). TEM/TED studies showed that [110] diffuse intensity lines in [001] TED patterns of InGaAs are not related to the fine scale modulated contrast but to the fine scale speckle contrast. It was concluded that a fine scale modulated contrast due to alloy clustering coexists with a fine scale speckle contrast associated with static atomic displacements from the average lattice in InGaAs. For InPSb and GaPSb, a fine needle-like contrast was also observed, which corresponds to diffuse streaks in the [110] patterns. This fine needle-like contrast was attributed to segregation of atoms at missing rows of atoms in the reconstructed growing surface.
TED investigations revealed CuPt-type ordering in some of the InGaAs, InAsSb and InPSb layers. Regardless of alloy systems and growth conditions, the ordering occurred on only two of the four possible {111} variants. The degree of ordering was strongly dependent on growth conditions. Two variants of the ordered regions in InGaAs nucleated separately. TED/HREM studies of the ordered structure in InGaAs revealed a direct relationship between the inclination and elongation of superlattice spots and the morphology of anti-phase boundaries present within the domains. Two competing processes of surface-induced ordering, and bulk-induced disordering within a transition region, were considered to interpret the growth condition dependence of the ordering in InGaAs. A model for the ordering observed was proposed based on the surface reconstruction mechanism.
MBE InAsSb strained layer superlattices (SLSs) were examined by TEM and HREM techniques. Defect configuration and the atomic structure of tetragonal distortion of the SLSs were directly imaged. Defect behaviour was dependent on the geometry of the SLSs. Possible relaxation mechanisms for the SLSs were proposed.

Advisor: Booker, G
Economic evaluation of factorial randomised controlled trials

Factorial randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluate two or more interventions simultaneously, enabling assessment of interactions between treatments. This thesis presents literature reviews, methodological reviews, simulation studies and applied case studies that explore methods for assessing cost-effectiveness based on factorial RCTs.
My systematic review suggests that factorial RCTs account for around 3% of trial-based economic evaluations, although there is currently no guidance or methodological work indicating the most appropriate methods. Around 40% of published studies assumed no interaction between treatments and many were poorly-reported.
Various mechanisms are likely to produce large interactions within economic endpoints such as costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and net benefits. Failing to take account of interactions can introduce bias and prevent efficient allocation of healthcare resources. I developed the opportunity cost of ignoring interactions as a measure of the implications of this bias. However, allowing for small, chance interactions is inefficient, potentially leading to over-investment in research if trial-based evaluations are used to inform decisions about subsequent research. Nonetheless, analyses on simulated trial data suggest that the opportunity cost of adopting a treatment that will not maximise health gains from the healthcare budget is minimised by including all interactions regardless of magnitude or statistical significance.
Different approaches for conducting economic evaluations of factorial RCTs (including regression techniques, extrapolation using patient-level simulation, and considering different components of net benefit separately) are evaluated within three applied studies, including both full and partial factorials with 2x2 and 2x2x2 designs.
I demonstrate that within both trial-based and model-based economic evaluation, efficient allocation of healthcare resources requires consideration of interactions between treatments, and joint decisions about interacting treatments based on incremental cost-effectiveness evaluated “inside-the-table” on a natural scale.
I make recommendations for the design, analysis and reporting of factorial trial-based economic evaluations based on the results of this thesis.

Keywords: clinical trial
economic evaluation
health economics
randomised controlled trial
factorial design
Advisor: Gray, A
The human cytochrome P-450 21-hydroxylase genes

Deficiency of the cytochrome P-450 steroid 21-hydroxylase (21-OHase) which causes Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) is a monogenic autosomal recessive disorder which is linked to HLA. There are two 21-OHase genes in man, A and B, and they are mapped to the HLA class III region ~ 3 kb 3' to the complement genes C4A and C4B, respectively. Two genes encoding 21-OHase were isolated, characterized and sequenced. Both 21-OHase genes are ~ 3.3 kb in length and are split into 10 exons by nine introns. Comparison of the two genes showed that although they are highly conserved, there are three deleterious mutations in the 21-OHase A gene which cause frameshifts and introduce in phase premature termination codons. Thus the 21-OHase A gene is a pseudogene.
Comparison of the 21-OHase B gene to the other cytochrome P-450 sequences revealed that although the cysteine-429 was conserved in 21-OHase, there is very little homology with other cytochrome P-450, indicating it belongs to a separate family of genes within the superfamily. Clear evidence of polymorphism in 21-OHase is apparent on comparison with other 21-OHase B sequences. There is a size polymorphism of 494 and 495 amino acids.
The differing severities of 21-OHase deficiency in CAH may be due to allelic variants of the 21-OHase B gene, since in most cases the defect is not due to gene deletion (Rumsby et al., 1986). A 21-OHase B gene from a patient with CAH was characterized and sequenced. There were 13 nucleotide alterations in his single 21-OHase B gene, one of which at codon 269 caused a serine to change to a threonine residue.
The G → C transversion in the 21-OHase B gene from the patient at codon 269 introduced a new NcoI restriction site into the gene. This restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was used to study other patients with CAH and normal individuals. The NcoI RFLP was found not to be confined to the 21-OHase B gene but was also present in some 21-OHase A genes. It is likely therefore that the mutation occurred in the pseudogene first and then transferred to some 21-OHase B genes.

Advisor: Porter, R
Campbell, R
Campbell, D
Group structure and behaviour in microfinance: empirics from Sierra Leone

The use of group lending for poverty alleviation is a widespread feature of modern microfinance. The structure of joint-liability credit - if one member defaults the others are held financially responsible - produces a natural tension between a borrower's social and economic interests. This study integrates theory from economics, sociology, and behavioural experiments to address the question, "How do social and economic mechanisms interact to shape a microcredit group's financial behaviour?"
The empirical analysis involves an original dataset from a microfinance institution in Sierra Leone. The total dataset includes 7,025 joint-liability borrowers involved in 47,931 repayment transactions from 2005 to 2011. The empirical methods used are diverse: ethnographic fieldwork, GPS spatial analysis, social affiliation survey design, and multilevel statistical analysis of loan performance data. The original work is structured as three distinct papers.
In the first paper, I examine social collateral, the formal use of a borrower's relationships as security against loan default. How does a group's spatial structure affect the efficacy of social collateral? Spatial concentration improves a group's economic performance up to a certain level after which the effect reverses and performance declines. The relationship is driven by a social trade-off between ability and willingness to enforce the loan. Further, groups that consist of multiple spatial fragments produce worse performance. Spatially fragmented groups are prone to splitting into social factions.
In the second paper, I question what drives the self-selection process of microcredit group formation. The results show that group leaders prefer members with pre-existing social ties, who are spatially proximate, and have matching business types. The preference for socio-spatial factors is likely motivated by reducing the risk of strategic default by group members.
In the third paper, I explore how economic cooperation in small groups evolves over years of repeated interaction. Despite the selective retention of better performing groups, average cooperation rates consistently decline, in terms of contribution and effort. Further, variance across groups continues to increase over 30 months of repeated interaction, suggesting that convergence to a stable cooperation rate has not occurred. Given that group lending exhibits many of the factors found to promote cooperation in laboratory experiments, it is surprising to find such a marked decline in this field setting.
Overall, this thesis contributes to economic sociology by dissecting the difficult trade-offs between social and economic motives in group lending and offers policy implications for microfinance institutions regarding group formation heuristics, contract design, and loan management.

Keywords: microcredit
joint liability
spatial structure
cooperation
embeddedness
microfinance
economic sociology
Sierra Leone
group lending
behaviour
Advisor: Reed-Tsochas, F
Barron, D
Microeconomic foundations of knowledge-driven growth

This D.Phil, thesis undertakes a theoretical analysis of the microeconomic incentives for scientific and technical knowledge-creating activities at the firm-level, the channels by which these activities impinge on industrial change and economic growth, and the effectiveness of governmental policies formulated to influence these systemic linkages. The motivation for this work is explained in Chapter 2, which reviews the state of the art in new growth theory and puts forward a typology of privately sponsored RandD activities and knowledge resources defining the premises on which the thesis rests.
Chapters 3 and 4 investigate the RandD allocation and output decisions of a profitmaximising monopolist investing in exploratory- and applications-oriented research, dealing separately with product and process innovations. The characteristic properties of the optimal time paths are ascertained by means of formal and numerical optimal control methods, including comparative dynamics. The complementarity between the two modes of research is shown to generate increasing returns, but these turn out to be short-lived. The model is extended in Chapter 5 to study the development of multiple product lines. Knowledge spillovers and demand-side externalities across successive product lines can provide the basis for continued spending on RandD, allowing sustained output growth and profitability.
Chapters 6 to 8 turn to the challenges of modelling the irreducible elements of uncertainty in the innovation process and their bearing upon the dynamics of market competition and industry structure. In the sequential game theoretic model introduced, firms can invest in fundamentally uncertain "innovative-RandD," or wait until the uncertainty surrounding original innovation is dispelled and invest in certain but costly "imitative-RandD." These decisions are taken in a vertically and horizontally differentiated market where noninnovating firms can compete with a "traditional" product. The industry-wide scale of RandD investments and the related evolution in market structure are determined endogenously. To do so, a symmetric equilibrium concept is defined and its uniqueness established.
The model can support Schumpeterian industry evolutions, in which surges of innovative entry are followed by waves of imitation, and ensuing "creative destruction" in which traditional producers are driven out of the industry and innovators' rents are eventually eroded. Numerical simulations are employed in Chapter 7 to provide further insights into the evolution of product development, market structure, pricing, firm growth, profitability, and consumer welfare. The final chapter considers the implications of this game theoretic approach for competition and innovation policies.

Advisor: David, P
The Qajar jurist and his ruling: A study of judicial practice in nineteenth century Iran

Unlike in the Ottoman world, the exercise of judicial power in nineteenth century Qajar Iran was not contingent upon formal appointment by the political authority. In accordance with the dominant Uṣ&umacr;l&imacr; theory, it derived from the perceived intellectual ability of a cleric to infer the ruling of God (ḥukmull&amacr;h) from the sources of Twelver Sh&imacr;'&imacr; law through deductive effort (ijtih&amacr;d).
Like the Ottoman q&amacr;ḍ&imacr;, the Qajar Uṣ&umacr;l&imacr; jurist or mujtahid known as ḥ&amacr;kim-i shar' in a judicial context had both notarial and adjudicative powers. The Qajar jurist could thus authenticate, register, annul legal documents and act as an arbiter in lawsuits. The Qajar jurist could also, however, issue a legal opinion. This was the role of the muft&imacr; – a separate judicial office in other parts of the Islamic world. Qajar jurists exercised their extensive judicial powers through a network of informal shar&imacr;'a courts, which they came to operate in most Iranian towns and cities largely independent of direct state control.
While the notarial aspects of the Qajar shar&imacr;'a court have received some scholarly attention, this study aims to investigate the role of the jurist and his ruling (ḥukm-i shar') in shar&imacr;'a litigation (mur&amacr;fa'a pl. –&amacr;t).

Keywords: ligitation
religious endowments
Shiite law
decentralization
judicial system
Qajar Iran
ruling
jurist
Advisor: Herzig, E
Molecular analysis of hobo and Himar 1 transposition

The aim of this study is to find out more about how eukaryotic transposons work. Transposons are widespread genetic elements that can autonomously change their position within a genome. Their translocation is mediated by the transposase enzyme, encoded by the transposon itself. Transposition is often associated with mutations and recombination in the host and may promote evolutionary change. Most knowledge of the principles and molecular mechanisms has so far come from prokaryotic transposons. Eukaryotic transposons have mostly been studied on the level of population dynamics. In this thesis, I studied two eukaryotic transposons on a molecular level, hobo and Himarl are members of very widespread transposon families, hAT and mariner-like elements, respectively. Their interest lies mainly in the preposition that the order of catalytic steps is the opposite of all prokaryotic transposons studied so far.
I developed several protocols for the purification of hobo transposase. These preparations were assayed by several methods in vitro. DNA hairpin structures, which had been postulated to arise in the flanking DNA upon hobo excision, were assayed for with a newly developed very sensitive method, frayed duplex PCR. Here, and in reconstructed in vivo transposition systems, no specific transpositional activity, apart from a high toxicity for the host cells, was detected. This suggests a requirement for as yet unidentified host factors.
For Himarl, I improved the published transposase purification protocol and optimised the in vitro reaction conditions, achieving a c. 10-fold increase in specific activity. Specific transposase-DNA binding is shown, representing the earliest intermediates in transposition. Later complexes studied are target capture and strand transfer complexes, which are the final stage of the transposition reaction. Hydroxyradical footprinting and band shift assays suggest that Himarl transposase binds a single DNA end as multimers while occupying only a single DNA binding site. Himarl can bind and commit to target DNA before as well as after excision from the donor. Target commitment is only clearly visible under conditions of macromolecular crowding, and insertions were found to be more efficient if the target is supercoiled. These are both conditions closely resembling the situation in the eukaryotic nucleus.

Advisor: Chalmers, R